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EISE AND PROGRESS 



PEOPLE CALLED QUAKERS; 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN, 



INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 



ENN, 
•ft ^ 

WITH HIS A 



BY WILLIAM PENN, 

/ 

LETTER TO HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
T. ELLWOOD CHAPMAN, 

No. 1 SOUTH FIFTH STREET, 
1855. 




/^o 



o 



THE 



RISE AND PROGRESS 



PEOPLE CALLED QUAKERS. 



BY WILLIAM PENN. 



AB XJNKWOWN, AND YET WELL KNOWW.— 2 Cor. vi. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
T. ELLWOOD CHAPMAN, 

No. 1 BOCTH FIFTH STREET, 
1855. 



p 



TO THE EEADEB. 



This following account of the people called 
Quakers^ &c. was written in tlie fear and love of 
Grod: Jirstj as a standing testimony to ttat ever 
blessed truth, in the inward parts, with which God, 
in my youthful time, visited my soul, and for the 
sense and love of which I was made willing, in no or- 
dinary way, to relinquish the honours and interests 
of the world. Second!?/, as a testimony for that 
despised people, that God has in his great mercy 
gathered and united by his own blessed Spirit in 
the holy profession of it; whose fellowship I value 
above all worldly greatness. Thirdly, in love and 
honour to the memory of that worthy servant of 
God, George Fox, the first instrument thereof, and 
therefore styled by me. The great and blessed apostle 
of our day. As this gave birth to what is here pre- 
sented to thy view, in the first edition of it, by 
way of preface to George Fox's excellent journal; 
so the consideration of the present usefulness of the 
following account of the people called Quakers, (by 
reason of the unjust reflections of some adversaries 

iii 



IV TO THE READER. 

that once walked under the profession of friends) 
and the exhortations that conclude it; prevailed with 
me to consent that it should be republished in a 
smaller volume ; knowing also full well, that great 
books, especially in these days, grow burdensome, 
both to the pockets and minds of too many ; and 
that there are not a few that desire (so it be at an 
easy rate) to be informed about this people, that 
have been so much every where spoken against: but, 
blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, it is upon no worse grounds than it was said 
of old time of the primitive Christians ; as I hope 
will appear to every sober and considerate reader. 
Our business, after all the ill usage we have met 
with, being the realities of religion, an effectual 
change before our last and great change ; that all 
may come to an inward, sensible and experimental 
knowledge of God, through the convictions and ope- 
rations of the light and spirit of Christ in themselves, 
the sufficient and blessed means given to all, that 
thereby all may come savingly to know the only true 
God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, to en- 
lighten and redeem the world : which knowledge is 
indeed eternal life. And that thou, reader, mayst 
obtain it, is the earnest desire of him that is ever 
Thine in so good a work, 

William Penn. 



RISE AND PROGRESS 



SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 



Divers have been the dispensations of God since 
the creation of the world unto the sons of men; but 
the great end of them all has been the renown of 
his own excellent name in the creation and restora- 
tion of man — man, the emblem of himself, as a God 
on earth, and the glory of all his works. The world 
began with innocency: all was then good that the 
good God had made: and as he blessed the works 
of his hands, so their natures and harmony magni- 
fied him their Creator. Then the morning stars 
sang together for joy, and all parts of his works 
said Amen to his law: not a jar in the whole frame; 
but man in paradise, the beasts in the field, the 
fowls in the air, the fish in the sea, the lights in the 
heavens, the fruits of the earth; yea, the air, the 
earth, the water and fire worshipped, praised, and 
1* 



6 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

exalted his power, wisdom and goodness! holy 
sabbath! holy day to the Lord! 

But this happy state lasted not long: for man, 
the crown and glory of the whole, being tempted to 
aspire above his place, unhappily yielded against 
command and duty, as well as interest and felicity; 
and so fell below it, lost the divine image, the wis- 
dom, power, and purity he was made in. By which, 
being no longer fit for paradise, he was expelled that 
garden of Grod, his proper dwelling and residence, 
and was driven out, as a poor vagabond, from the 
presence of the Lord, to wander in the earth, the 
habitation of beasts. 

Yet God who made him had pity on him; for He, 
seeing man was deceived, and that it was not of 
malice, or an original presumption in him, but 
through the subtilty of the serpent, (that had first 
fallen from his own estate,) and by the mediation 
of the woman, man's own nature and companion, 
(whom the serpent had first deluded,) in his infinite 
goodness and wisdom provided a way to repair the 
breach, recover the loss, and restore fallen man 
again by a nobler and more excellent Adam, pro- 
mised to be born of a woman; that as, by means of 
a woman the evil one had prevailed upon man, by 
a woman also He should come into the world, who 
would prevail against him, and bruise his head, and 
deliver man from his power: and which, in a signal 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 7 

manner, hj the dispensation of the Son of God in 
the flesh, in the fulness of time, was personally and 
fully accomplished by him, and in him, as man's 
Saviour and Redeemer. 

But his power was not limited, in the manifesta- 
tion of it, to that time; for both before and since 
his blessed manifestation in the flesh. He has been 
the light and life, the rock and strength of all that 
ever feared God; was present with them in their 
temptations, followed them in their travels and 
afflictions, and supported and carried them through 
and over the difficulties that have attended them in 
their earthly pilgrimage. By this, AbeFs heart ex- 
celled Cain's, Seth obtained the pre-eminence, and 
Enoch walked with God. It was this that strove 
with the old world, and which they rebelled against, 
and which sanctified and instructed Noah to salva- 
tion. 

But the outward dispensation that followed the be- 
nighted state of man after his fall, especially among 
the patriarchs, was generally that of angels, as the 
Scriptures of the Old Testament do in many places 
express, as to Abraham, Jacob, &c. The next was 
that of the law by Moses, which was also delivered 
by angels, as the apostle tells us. This dispensation 
was much outward, and suited to a low and servile 
state; called therefore by the Apostle Paul that of 
a schoolmaster, to point out and prepare that people 



8 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

to look and long for the Messiah, who would deliver 
them from the servitude of a ceremonious and im- 
perfect dispensation, by knowing the realities of 
those mysterious representations in themselves. In 
this time the law was written on stone, the temple 
built with hands, attended with an outward priest- " 
hood and external rites and ceremonies, that were 
shadows of the good things that were to come, and 
were only to serve till the Seed came, or the more 
excellent and general manifestation of Christ, to 
whom was the promise, and to all men only in Him, 
in whom it was Yea and Amen, even life from 
death, immortality and eternal life. 

This the prophets foresaw, and comforted the 
believing Jews in the certainty of it; which was the 
top of the Mosaical dispensation, which ended in 
John's ministry, the forerunner of the Messiah, as 
John's was finished in Him, the fulness of all. And 
God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, 
had spoken to the fathers by his servants the pro- 
phets, spoke then by his Son Christ Jesus, who is 
heir of all things; being the gospel day, which is 
the dispensation of sonship; bringing in thereby a 
nearer testament and a better hope; even the begin- 
ning of the glory of the latter days, and of the res- 
titution of all things ; yea, the restoration of the 
kingdom unto Israel. 

Now the Spirit, that was more sparingly comma- 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 9 

nicated in former dispensations^ began to be poured 
forth upon all flesh, according to the prophet Joel; 
and the light that shined in darkness, or but dimly 
before, the most gracious Grod caused to shine out 
of darkness, and the day-star began to arise in the 
hearts of believers, giving unto them the knowledge 
of God in the face (or appearance) of his Son 
Christ Jesus. 

Now the poor in spirit, the meek, the true 
mourners, the hungry and thirsty after righteous- 
ness, the peacemakers, the pure in heart, the mer- 
ciful, and the persecuted, came more especially in 
remembrance before the Lord, and were sought out 
and blessed by Israel's true Shepherd. Old Jeru- 
salem with her children grew out of date, and the 
new Jerusalem into request, the mother of the sons 
of the gospel day. Wherefore no more at old Jeru- 
salem, nor at the mountain of Samaria, will God be 
worshipped above other places; for, behold, he is, 
by his own Son, declared and preached a Spirit, 
and that He will be known as such, and worshipped 
in the Spirit and in the Truth. He will now come 
nearer than of old time, and He will write his law 
in the heart, and put his fear and Spirit in the in- 
ward parts, according to his promise. Then signs, 
types, and shadows flew away, the day having dis- 
covered their insufficiency in not reaching to the 
inside of the cup, to the cleansing of the conscience; 



10 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

and all elementary services were expired in and by 
Him who is the substance of all. 

And to this great and blessed end of the dispen- 
sation of the Son of God^ did the apostles testify, 
whom he had chosen and anointed by his Spirit, to 
turn the Jews from their prejudice and superstition, 
and the Gentiles from their vanity and idolatry, to 
Christ's Light and Spirit that shined in them; that 
they might be quickened from the sins and tres- 
passes in which they were dead, to serve the living 
God, in the newness of the Spirit of life, and walk 
as children of the light, and of the day, even the day 
of holiness: For such ^^ put on Christ,'^ the light of 
the world, ^^and make no more provision for the 
flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof/' So that the Light, 
Spirit, and Grace, that come by Christ, and appear in 
man, were that Divine Principle the apostles minis- 
tered from, and turned people's minds unto, and in 
which they gathered and built up the churches of 
Christ in their day. For which cause they advise 
them not to quench the Spirit, but wait for the 
Spirit, and speak by the Spirit, and pray by the 
Spirit, and walk in the Spirit too, as that which ap- 
proved them the truly begotten children of God, 
born not of flesh and blood, or of the will of man, 
but of the will of God, by doing his will and deny- 
ing their own, by drinking of Christ's cup, and 
feeing baptized with his baptism of self-denial; the 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 11 

way and path that all the heirs of life have trod to 
blessedness. But alas! even in the apostles' days, 
— those bright stars of the first magnitude of the 
gospel light — some clouds, foretelling an eclipse of 
this primitive glory, began to appear; and several 
of them gave early caution of it to the Christians 
of their time, that even then there was, and yet 
would be more and more, a falling away from the 
power of godliness, and the purity of that spiritual 
dispensation, by such as sought to make a fair show 
in the flesh, but with whom the offence of the 
cross ceased: yet with this comfortable conclusion, 
that they saw, beyond it, a more glorious time than 
ever to the true church. Their sight was true, and 
what they foretold to the churches, gathered by 
them in the name and power of Jesus, came so to 
pass: For Christians degenerated apace into out- 
sides, as days, and meats, and divers other cere- 
monies. And, which was worse, they fell into strife 
and contention about them, separating one from 
another, then envying, and, as they had power, per- 
secuting one another, to the shame and scandal of 
their common Christianity, and grievous stumbling 
and offence of the heathen, among whom the Lord 
had so long and so marvellously preserved them. 
And having got at last, the worldly power into 
their hands, by kings and emperors embracing the 
Christian profession, they changed, what they could. 



12 RISE AND PROGRESS OP 

the kingdom of Christ, which is not of this world, 
into a worldly kingdom; or at least styled the 
worldly kingdom, that was in their hands, the king- 
dom of Christ, and so they became worldly, and not 
true Christians. Then human inventions and novel- 
ties, both in doctrine and worship, crowded fast into 
the church; a door being opened thereunto, by the 
grossness and carnality that appeared then among 
the generality of Christians, who had long since left 
the guidance of God's meek and heavenly Spirit, 
and given themselves up to superstition, will-wor- 
ship, and voluntary humility; and as superstition 
is blind, so it is heady and furious; for all must 
stoop to its blind and boundless zeal, or perish by 
it; in the name of the Spirit, persecuting the very 
appearance of the Spirit of God in others, and op- 
posing that in them which they resisted in them- 
selves, viz., The Light, Grace, and Spirit of the 
Lord Jesus Christ; but always under the notion of 
innovation, heresy, schism, or some such plausible 
name. Though Christianity allows of no name or 
pretence whatever for persecuting any man for mat- 
ters of mere religion; religion being in its very na- 
ture meek, gentle and forbearing, and consisting of 
faith, hope, and charity, which no persecutor can 
have, whilst he remains a persecutor; in that a man 
cannot believe well, or hope well, or have a cha- 
ritable or tender regard to another, whilst he would 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 13 

violate his mind, or persecute his body, for matters 
of faith or worship towards his God. 

Thus the fiilse church sprang up, and mounted 
the chair. But though she lost her nature, she 
would keep her good name of the Lamb's bride, 
the true church and mother of the faithful ; con- 
straining all to receive her mark, either in their 
forehead or right hand; that is, publicly or pri- 
vately. But indeed and in truth she was mystery, 
Babylon, the mother of harlots, mother of those 
that with all their show and outside of religion, 
were adulterated and gone from the Spirit, nature 
and life of Christ, and grown vain, worldly, ambi- 
tious, covetous, cruel, &c., which are the fruits of 
the flesh, and not of the Spirit. 

Now it was that the true church fled into the 
wilderness, that is, from superstition and violence, 
to a retired, solitary, and lonely state; hidden, and, 
as it were, out of sight of men, though not out of 
the world . which shows that her wonted visibility 
was not essential to the being of a true church in 
the judgment of the Holy Ghost ; she being as 
true a church in the wilderness, though not as visi- 
ble and lustrous, as when she was in her former 
splendour of profession. In this state many at- 
tempts she made to return ; but the waters were yet 
too high, and her way blocked up, and many of her 
excellent children, in several nations and centuries, 
2 



14 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

fell by the cruelty of superstition, because they 
would not fall from their faithfulness to the truth. 
The last age did set some steps towards it, both 
as to doctrine, worship, and practice. But practice 
quickly failed ; for wickedness flowed in a little time, 
as well among the professors of the Reformation, 
as those they reformed from; so that by the fruits 
of conversation they were not to be distinguished. 
And the children of the reformers, if not the re- 
formers themselves, betook themselves very early to 
earthly policy and power, to uphold and carry on 
their reformation that had been begun with spiritual 
weapons ; which, I have often thought, has been one 
of the greatest reasons the Reformation made no 
better progress as to the life and soul of religion. 
For whilst the reformers were lowly and spiritually 
minded, and trusted in God, and looked to him, and 
lived in his fear, and consulted not with flesh and 
blood, nor sought deliverance in their own way, 
there were daily added to the church such, as one 
might reasonably say, should be saved; for they 
were not so careful to be safe from persecution, as to 
be faithful and inoffensive under it ; being more con- 
cerned, to spread the truth by their faith and pa- 
tience in tribulation, than to get the worldly power 
out of their hands that inflicted those sufferings 
upon them ; and it will be well if the Lord suffer 
them not to fall, by the very same way they took 
to stand. 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 15 

In doctrine tliej were in some things short ; in 
other things, to avoid one extreme, they ran into 
another; and for worship, there was, for the gene- 
rality, more of man in it than of God. They owned 
the Spirit, Inspiration and Revelation, indeed, and 
grounded their separation and reformation upon the 
sense and understanding they received from it, in 
the reading of the Scriptures of truth. And this 
was their plea, the Scripture was the text, the Spirit 
the interpreter, and that to every one for himself. 
But yet there was too much of human invention, 
tradition and art, that remained both in praying and 
preaching; and of worldly authority and worldly 
greatness in their ministers ; especially in this king- 
dom, Sweden, Denmark, and some parts of Germany, 
God was therefore pleased among us, to shift from 
vessel to vessel ; and the next remove humbled the 
ministry, so that they were more strict in preaching, 
devout in praying, and zealous for keeping the 
Lord^s day, and catechising children and servants, 
and repeating at home in their families what they 
Lad heard in public. 

But even as these grew into power, they were 
not only for whipping some out, but others into 
the temple ; and they appeared rigid in their spirits, 
rather than severe in their lives, and more for a 
party than for piety, which brought forth another 
people, that were yet more retired and select. 



16 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

These Trould not communicate at large, or in con. 
mon with others ; but formed churches among them- 
selves of such as could give some account of theii 
conversion, at least of very promising experiences 
of the work of God's grace upon their hearts ; and 
under mutual agreements and covenants of fellow- 
ship, they kept together. These people were some- 
what of a softer temper, and seemed to recommend 
religion by the charms of its love, mercy and good- 
ness, rather than by the terror of its judgments and 
punishments; by which the former party would 
have terrified people into religion. 

They also allowed greater liberty to prophesy than 
those before them; for they admitted any member 
to speak or pray, as well as their pastor, (whom 
they always chose, and not the civil magistrate,) if 
such found anything pressing upon them to either 
duty, even without the distinction of clergy or laity 
— persons of any trade, be it never so low and me- 
chanical. But alas ! even these people suffered 
great loss ; for tasting of worldly empire, and the 
favour of princes, and the gain that ensued, they 
degenerated but too much. For though they had 
cried down national churches and ministry, and 
maintenance too, some of them, when it was their 
own turn to be tried, fell under the weight of worldly 
honour and advantage, got into profitable parsonages 
too much, and outlived and contradicted their own 
principles; and, which was yet worse, turned some 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 17 

of them absolute persecutors of other men for God^s 
sake, who but so lately came themselves out of the 
furnace ; which drove many a step farther, and that 
was into the water— another baptism — as believing 
they were not scripturally baptized ; and hoping to 
find that presence and power of God, in submitting 
to this watery ordinance, which they desired and 
wanted. 

These people made also profession of neglecting, 
if not renouncing and censuring, not only the ne- 
cessity, but use of all human learning, as to the 
ministry, and all other qualifications to it, besides 
the helps and gifts of the Spirit of God, and those 
natural and common to men; and for a time they 
seemed, like John of old, a burning and a shining 
light to other societies. 

They were very diligent, plain and serious; strong 
in Scripture and bold in profession; bearing much 
reproach and contradiction. But that which others 
fell by, proved their hurt. For worldly power 
spoiled them too; who had enough of it to try them 
what they would do if they had more; and they 
rested also too much upon their watery dispensation 
instead of passing on more fully to that of the fire 
and Holy Ghost, which was His baptism, who came 
with a fan in his hand, that he might thoroughly 
(and not in part only) purge his floor, and take 
away the dross and the tin of his people, and make 
a man finer than gold. Withal they grew high, 
2* 



18 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

rougli and self-righteous, opposing further attain- 
ment; too much forgetting the day of their in- 
fancy and littleness, which gave them something of 
a real beauty ; insomuch that many left them, and 
all visible churches and societies, and wandered up 
and down, as sheep without a shepherd, and as 
doves without their mates ; seeking their beloved, 
but could not find him (as their souls desired to know 
Him) whom their souls loved above their chief est 

These people were called Seekers by some, and 
the Family of Love by others; because, as they 
came to the knowledge of one another, they some- 
times met together, not formally to pray or preach 
at appointed times or places, in their own wills, as 
in times past they were accustomed to do, but 
waited together in silence; and as any thing rose in 
any one of their minds that they thought savoured 
of a divine spring, so they sometimes spoke. But 
so it was, that some of them not keeping in humi- 
lity, and in the fear of God, after the abundance of 
revelation, were exalted above measure; and for 
want of staying their minds in an humble depend- 
ence upon Him that opened their understandings 
to see great things in his law, they ran out in their 
own imaginations, and mixing them with those di- 
vine openings, brought forth a monstrous birth, to 
the scandal of those that feared God and waited 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 19 

daily in the temple not made with hands, for the 
consolation of Israel; the Jew inward, and circum- 
cision in Spirit. 

This people obtained the name of Eanters, from 
their extravagant discourses and practices. For 
they interpreted Christ's fulfilling of the law for us 
to be a discharging of us from any obligation and 
duty the law required, instead of the condemnation 
of the law for sins past, upon faith and repentance; 
and that now it was no sin to do that which before 
it was a sin to commit; the slavish fear of the law 
being taken off by Christ, and all things good that 
man did, if he did but do them with the mind and 
persuasion that it was so. Insomuch that divers 
• fell into gross and enormous practices; pretending, 
in excuse thereof, that they could, without evil, 
commit the same act which was sin in another to do; 
thereby distinguishing between the action and the 
evil of it, by the direction of the mind and intention 
in the doing of it; which was to make sin supera- 
bound by the aboundings of grace, and to turn 
from the grace of God into wantonness — a se- 
curer way of sinning than before; as if Christ 
came not to save us from our sins, but in our sins ; 
not to take away sin, but that we might sin more 
freely at his cost, and with less danger to our- 
selves. I say, this ensnared divers, and brought 
them to an utter and lamentable loss as to their 
eternal state; and they grew very troublesome to the 



20 RISE AND PROGRESS OP 

better sort of people, and furnislied the looser with 
an occasion to profane. 

It was about that time, that the eternal, wise, 
and good God was pleased in his infinite love, to 
honour and visit this benighted and bewildered na- 
tion with his glorious day-spring from on high; yea, 
with a most sure and certain sound of the word of 
light and life, through the testimony of a chosen 
vessel, to an effectual and blessed purpose, can 
many thousands say; glory be to the name of the 
Lord forever! 

For as it reached the conscience and broke the 
heart, and brought many to a sense and search, so 
that which people had been vainly seeking without, 
with much pains and cost, they, by this ministry, 
found within, where it was they wanted what they 
sought for, viz., the right way to peace with God. 
For they were directed to the light of Jesus Christ 
within them as the seed and leaven of the kingdom 
of God; near all, because in all, and God^s talent 
to all — a faithful and true witness, and just monitor 
in every bosom — the gift and grace of God, to life 
and salvation, that appears to all, though few regard 
it. This the traditional Christian, conceited of him- 
self, and strong in his own will and righteousness, 
and overcome with blind zeal and passion, either 
despised as a low and common thing, or opposed as 
a novelty, under many hard names, and opprobrious 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 21 

terms; denying, in his ignorant and angry mind, 
any fresh manifestations of Grod's power and Spirit 
in., man in these days, though never more needed 
to make true Christians. Not unUke those Jews of 
old, who rejected the Son of God, at the very same 
time that they blindly professed to wait for the 
Messiah to come; because, alas! he appeared not 
among them according to their carnal mind and ex- 
pectation. 

This brought forth many abusive books, which 
filled the greater sort with envy, and the lesser with 
rage; and made the way and progress of this blessed 
testimony straight and narrow indeed to those that 
received it. However, God owned his own work, 
and this testimony did effectually reach, gather, 
comfort, and establish the weary and heavy laden, 
the hungry and thirsty, the poor and needy, the 
mournful and sick of many maladies, that had spent 
all upon physicians of no value, and waited for re- 
lief from heaven, help only from above: seeing, 
upon a serious trial of all things, nothing else would 
do but Christ himself, the light of his countenance, 
a touch of his garment, and help from his hand, 
who cured the poor woman's issue, raised the centu- 
rion's servant, the widow's son, the ruler's daughter, 
and Peter's mother. And like her, they no sooner 
felt his power and efficacy upon their souls, but they 
gave up to obey him in a testimony to his power, 



22 RISE AND PROGRESS OP 

and with resigned wills and faithful hearts, through 
all mockings, contradictions, beatings, prisons, and 
many other jeopardies that attended them for his 
blessed name's sake. 

And truly they were very many, and very great; 
so that in all human probability they must have 
been swallowed up quick of the proud and boister- 
ous waves that swelled and beat against them; but 
that the God of all their tender mercies was with 
them in his glorious authority, so that the hills often 
fled, and the mountains melted away before the 
power that filled them; working mightily for them 
as well as in them, one ever following the other. 
By which they saw plainly, to their exceeding great 
confirmation and comfort, that all things were possi- 
ble with him with whom they had to do; and that the 
more that which God required seemed to cross man's 
wisdom, and expose them to man's wrath, the more 
God appeared to help and to carry them through 
all to his glory; — insomuch, that if ever any people 
could say in truth, ^^Thou art our sun and our 
shield, our rock and sanctuary, and by thee we 
have leaped over a wall, and by thee we have run 
through a troop, and by thee we have put the 
armies of the aliens to flight," these people had a 
right to say it. And as God had delivered their 
souls from the wearisome burdens of sin and vanity, 
and enriched their poverty of spirit, and satisfied 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 28 

their great hunger and thirst after eternal right- 
eousness, and filled them with the good things of 
his own house^ and made them stewards of his ma- 
nifold gifts; so thej went forth to all quarters of 
these nations, to declare to the inhabitants thereof 
what Grod had done for them; what they had found, 
and where and how they had found it, viz. the way 
to peace with God; inviting them to come, and see, 
and taste for themselves, the truth of what they de- 
clared unto them. 

And as their testimony was to the principle of 
God in man, the precious pearl and leaven of the 
kingdom, as the only blessed means appointed of 
God to quicken, convince and sanctify man, so they 
opened to them what it was in itself, and what it 
was given to them for; how they might know it 
from their own spirit, and that of the subtle ap- 
pearance of the evil one; and what it would do for 
all those whose minds are turned off from the vanity 
of the world, and its lifeless ways and teachers, and 
adhere to this blessed light in themselves, which 
discovers and condemns sin, in all its appearances, 
and show how to overcome it, if minded and obeyed 
in its holy manifestations and convictions; giving 
power to such to avoid and resist those things that 
do not please God, and to grow strong in love, faith 
and good works; that so man, whom sin hath made 
as a wilderness overrun with briers and thornS; 



24 RISE AND PROGRESS OP 

miglit become as the garden of Grod; cultivated by bis 
divine power^ and replenished with the most vir- 
tuous and beautiful plants of God's own right-hand 
planting, to his eternal praise. 

But these experimental preachers of glad tidings 
of Grod's truth and kingdom, could not run when 
they list, or pray or preach when they pleased, but 
as Christ their Kedeemer prepared and moved them 
by his own blessed Spirit, for which they waited in 
their services and meetings, and spoke as that gave 
them utterance; and which was as those having 
authority, and not like the dreaming, dry and for- 
mal Pharisees. And so it plainly appeared to the 
serious-minded, whose spiritual eye the Lord Jesus 
had in any measure opened; so that to one was 
given the word of exhortation, io another the word 
of reproof, to another the word of consolation, and 
all by the same Spirit and in the good order thereof 
to the convincing and edifying of many. 

And truly they waxed strong and bold through 
faithfulness ; and by the power and Spirit of the 
Lord Jesus became very fruitful; thousands, in a 
short time, being turned to the Truth in the in- 
ward parts through their testimony in ministry and 
sufferings; insomuch as in most counties, and many 
of the considerable towns of England, meetings 
were settled, and daily there were added such as 
should be saved. For they were diligent to plant 



THE SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 25 

and to water, and the Lord blessed their labours with 
an exceeding great increase, notwithstanding all the 
opposition made to their blessed progress, by false 
rumours, calumnies and bitter persecutions; not only 
from the powers of the earth, but from every one that 
listed to injure and abuse them; so that they seemed 
indeed to be as poor sheep appointed to the slaughter, 
and as a people killed all the day long. 

It were fitter for a volume than a preface, but so 
much as to repeat the contents of their cruel suf^ 
ferings from professors as well as from profane, and 
from magistrates as well as the rabble: so that it 
may be said of this abused and despised people, 
they went forth weeping and sowed in tears, bearing 
testimony to the precious Seed, the Seed of the 
kingdom, which stands not in words, (the finest, the 
highest that man's wit can use,) but in power — the 
power of Christ Jesus, to whom God the Father 
hath given all power in heaven and in earth, that 
He might rule angels above, and men below; who 
empowered them, as their work witnesseth, by the 
many that were turned through their ministry from 
darkness to the light, and out of the broad into the 
nariow way of life and peace, bringing people to a 
weighty, serious and godlike conversation; the prac- 
tice of that doctrine which they taught. 

And, as without this secret divine power there is 
no quickening and regenerating of dead souls, so the 
want of this generating and begetting power and life, 
3 



26 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

is the cause of the little fruit that the many minis- 
tries, that have been and are in the world, bring 
forth. Oh! that both ministers and people were 
sensible of this. My soul is often troubled for them, 
and sorrow and mourning compass me about for their 
sakes. Oh! that they were wise. Oh! that they 
would consider, and lay to heart the things that 
truly and substantially make for their lasting peace. 

Two things are to be considered ; the doctrine 
they taught, and the example they led among all- 
people. I have already touched upon their funda- 
mental principle, which is as the corner-stone of 
their fabric; and indeed, to speak eminently and 
properly, their characteristic, or main distinguishing 
point or principle, viz., The Light of Christ within, 
as God^s gift for man's salvation. This, I say, is 
as the root of the goodly tree of doctrines that grew 
and branched out from it, which I shall now men- 
tion in their natural and experimental order. 

First, repentance from dead works to serve the 
living Grod; which comprehends three operations; 
first, a sight of sin; secondly, a sense and godly 
sorrow for it; thirdly, an amendment for the time 
to come. This was the repentance they preached 
and pressed, and a natural result from the principle 
they turned all people unto. For of light came 
sight; and of sight came sense and sorrow; and of 
sense and sorrow come amendment of life; which 
doctrine of repentance leads to justification, that is, 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 27 

forgiveness of the sins that are past, through Christ 
the alone propitiation; and to the sanctification or 
purgation of the soul, from the defiling nature and 
habits of sin present, by the Spirit of Christ in the 
soul; which is justification in the complete sense of 
that word ; comprehending both justification from 
the guilt of the sins that are past (as if they had 
never been committed) through the love and mercy 
of God in Christ Jesus; and the creature's being 
made inwardly just, through the cleansing and sanc- 
tifying power and Spirit of Christ revealed in the 
soul; which is commonly called sanctification. But 
that none can come to know Christ to be their 
sacrifice that reject him as their sanctifier. The 
end of his coming being to save his people from the 
nature of this defilement, as well as guilt of sin; and 
that, therefore, those that resist his Light and Spirit, 
make his coming and offering of none effect to them. 
From hence sprang a second doctrine they were 
led to declare, as the mark of the prize of the high 
calling of all true Christians, viz. perfection from 
sin, according to the Scriptures of Truth; which 
testify it to be the end of Christ^s coming, and the 
nature of His kingdom, and for which His Spirit 
was given : viz., to be perfect as our Heavenly Father 
is perfect, and holy because God is holy. And this 
the Apostle laboured for, that the Christian should 
be sanctified through in body, soul, and spirit. But 
they never held a perfection in wisdom and glory 



28 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

in this life, or from natural infirmities, or death, as 
some have, with a weak or ill mind imagined and 
insinuated against them. 

This they called a redeemed state, regeneration, 
or the new birth: teaching every where, according 
to their foundation, that without this work were 
known, there was no inheriting the kingdom of God. 

Thirdly, this leads to an acknowledgment of eter- 
nal rewards and punishments, as they have good 
reason; for else, of all people, certainly they must 
be the most miserable, who, for above forty years have 
been exceeding great sufferers for their profession, 
and in some cases treated worse than the worst of 
men; yea, as the refuse and off-scouring of all things. 

This was the purport of their doctrine and minis- 
try; which, for the most part, is what other professors 
of Christianity pretend to hold in words and forms, 
but not in the power of godliness; which, generally 
speakings has been long lost by men's departing from 
that Principle and Seed of life that is in man, and 
which man has not regarded, but lost the sense of; 
and in and by which only he can be quickened in 
his mind to serve the living God in newness of life. 
For as the life of religion was lost, and the generality 
lived and worshipped God after their own wills, and 
not after the will of God, nor the mind of Christ, 
which stood in the works and fruits of the Holy 
Spirit; so that which they pressed was not notion, 
but experience; not formality, but godliness; as be* 
ing sensible in themselves, through the work of God's 



THE SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 29 

rigliteous judgments, that without holiness no man 
shall ever see the Lord with comfort. 

Besides these general doctrines, as the larger 
branches, there sprang forth several particular doc- 
trines, that did exemplify and farther explain the 
truth and efficacy of the general doctrine before 
observed, in their lives and examples: as, 

I. Communion and loving one another.. This is 
a noted mark in the mouth of all sorts of people con- 
cerning them : They will meet, they will help and stick 
one to another. Whence it is common to hear some 
say: Look how the Quakers love and take care of one 
another. Others, less moderate, will say : The Quakers 
love none but themselves: and if loving one another, 
and having an intimate communion in religion, and 
constant care to meet to worship God, and help one 
another, be any mark of primitive Christianity, they 
had it, blessed be the Lord, in an ample manner. 

II. To love enemies. This they both taught and 
practised. For they did not only refuse to be re- 
venged for injuries done them, and condemned it as 
an unchristian spirit, but they did freely forgive, yea, 
help and relieve those that had been cruel to them, 
when it was in their power to have been even with 
them; of which many and singular instances might 
be given; endeavouring, through faith and patience, 
to overcome all injustice and oppression, and preach- 
ing this doctrine as Christian, for others to follow. 

in. Another was the sufficiency of truth-speaking, 
3* 



30 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

according to Christ's own form of sound words, of 
yea, yea, and nay, nay, among Christians, without 
swearing; both from Christ's express prohibition to 
swear at all, Mat. v., and for that they being under 
the tie and bond of truth in themselves, there was 
no necessity for an oath; and it would be a reproach to 
their Christian veracity to assure their truth by such 
an extraordinary way of speaking simple and un- 
compounded answers, as yea, and nay, (without as- 
sertation, attestation, or supernatural vouchers,) be- 
ing most suitable to evangelical righteousness; but 
offering at the same time to be punished to the full, 
for false speaking, as others for perjury, if ever 
guilty of it. And hereby they exclude, with all 
true, all false and profane swearing; for which the 
land did and doth mourn, and the great God was, 
and is not a little offended with it. 

IV. Not fighting, but suffering, is another testi- 
mony peculiar to this people. They affirm that 
Christianity teacheth people to beat their swords 
into plough-shares, and their spears into pruning 
hooks, and to learn war no more; that so the wolf 
may lie down by the lamb, and the lion with the 
calf, and nothing that destroys be entertained in 
the hearts of people; exhorting them to employ 
their zeal against sin, and turn their anger against 
Satan, and no longer war one against another; be- 
cause all wars and fis^htino-s come of men^s own 
heart's lusts, according to the apostle James, and 
not of the meek Spirit of Christ Jesus, who is cap- 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 31 

tain of another waifare, wliich is carried on with 
other weapons. Thus^ as truth-speaking, succeeded 
swearing, so faith and patience succeeded jBghting, 
in the doctrine and practice of this people. Nor 
ought they for this to be obnoxious to civil govern- 
ment, since if they cannot fight for it, neither can 
they fight against it ; which is no mean security to 
any state. Nor is it reasonable that people should 
be blamed for not doing more for others than they 
can do for themselves. And, Christianity set aside, 
if the costs and fruits of war were well considered, 
peace, with all its inconvenience, is generally prefer- 
able. But though they were not for fighting, they 
were for submitting to government; and that not 
only for fear, but for conscience sake, where govern- 
ment doth not interfere with conscience: believing 
it to be an ordinance of God, and, where it is justly 
administered, a great benefit to man : though it has 
been their lot, through blind zeal in some, and inte- 
rest in others, to have felt the strokes of it with 
greater weight and rigour than any other persuasion 
in this age; whilst they, of all others, (religion set 
aside) have given the civil magistrate the least oc- 
casion of trouble in the discharge of his office. 

V. Another part of the character of this people, 
was, and is, they refuse to pay tithes or mainte- 
nance to a national ministry ; and that for two rea- 
sons : the one is, they believe all compelled main- 



32 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

tenancG; even to gospel ministers^ to be unlawful, 
because expressly contrary to Christ's command, 
wlio said, '' Freely you have received, freely give :'' 
at least, that the maintenance of gospel ministers 
should be free, and not forced. The other reason 
of their refusal is, because those ministers are not 
gospel ones, in that the Holy Ghost is not their 
foundation, but human arts and parts. So that it 
is not matter of humour or sullenness, but pure 
3onscience towards God, that they cannot help to 
support national ministries where they dwell, which 
are but too much and too visibly become ways of 
worldly advantage and preferment. 

VI. Not to respect persons, was, and is another 
of their doctrines and practices, for which they were 
often buffeted and abused. They affirmed it to be 
sinful to give flattering titles, or to use vain ges- 
tures and compliments of respect. Though to vir- 
tue and authority they ever made a deference; but 
after their plain and homely manner, yet sincere 
and substantial way ; well remembering the ex- 
amples of Mordecai and Elihu, but more especially 
the command of their Lord and Master, Jesus 
Christ, who forbade his followers to call men Rabbi, 
which implies lord or master; also the fashionable 
greetings and salutations of those times ; that so 
self-love and honour, to which the proud mind of man 
is incident in his fallen estate, might not be in- 
dulged, but rebuked. And though this rendered 
their conversation disagreeable, yet they that will 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 83 

remember what Christ said to the Jews, how can 
you believe in me, who receive honour one of ano- 
ther, will abate of their resentment, if his Doctrine 
has any credit with them. 

VIT. They also used the plain language of thee 
and thou to a single person, whatever was his degree 
among men; and indeed, the wisdom of God was 
much seen, in bringing forth this people in so 
plain an appearance ; for it was a close and dis- 
tinguishing test upon the spirits of those they came 
among; showing their insides, and what predomi- 
nated, notwithstanding their high, and great pro- 
fession of religion. This, among the rest, sounded 
so harsb to many of them, and they took it so ill, 
that they would say " Thou me, thou my dog ! If 
thou thou^st me, I'll thou thy teeth down thy 
throat;'^ forgetting the language they use to God 
in their own prayers, and the common style of the 
Scriptures, and that it is an absolute and essential 
propriety of speecb. And what good, alas I had 
their religion done them, who were so sensibly 
touched with indignation for the use of this plain, 
honest, and true speech. 

yill. They recommended silence by their exam- 
ple, having very few words upon all occasions. They 
were at a word in dealing; nor could their custom- 
ers, with many words, tempt them from it, having 
more regard to truth than custom, to example than 
gain. They sought solitude; but when in com- 
pany, they would neither use, nor willingly hear 



34 RISE AND PROGRESS OP 

unnecessary or unlawful discourses ; whereby they 
preserved their minds pure and undisturbed from 
unprofitable thoughts and diversions. Nor could 
they humour the custom of Good nighty Good mor- 
row, God speed; for they knew the night was good, 
and the day was good, without wishing of either; 
and that, in the other expression, the holy name of 
God was too lightly and unthinkingly used, and 
therefore taken in vain. Besides, they were words 
and wishes of course, and are usually as little meant 
as are love and service in the custom of cap and 
knee; and superfluity in those, as well as in other 
things, was burdensome to them; and therefore 
they did not only decline to use them, but found 
themselves often pressed to reprove the practice. 

IX. For the same reason they forbore drinking 
to people, or pledging of them, as the manner of the 
world is; a practice that is not only unnecessary, 
but, they thought, evil in the tendencies of it, being 
a provocation to drink more than did people good, 
as well as that it was in itself vain and heathenish. 

X. Their way of marriage is peculiar to them, 
and shows a distinguishing care above other societies 
professing Christianity. They say that marriage is 
an ordinance of God, and that God only can rightly 
join man and woman in marriage; therefore they 
use neither priest nor magistrate; but the man and 
woman concerned, take each other as husband and 
wife, in the presence of divers credible witnesses, 
promising to each other, with God's assistance, to 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 35 

be loving and faithful in that relation, till death 
shall separate them. But antecedent to this, they 
first present themselves to the Monthly Meeting 
for the aflFairs of the church, where they reside; 
there declaring their intentions to take one another 
as husband and wife, if the said meeting have 
nothing material to object against it. They are 
constantly asked the necessary questions, as in case 
of parents or guardians, if they have acquainted 
them with their intention, and have their consent, 
&c. The method of the meeting is, to make a 
minute thereof, and to appoint proper persons to 
inquire of their conversation and clearness from all 
others, and whether they have discharged their 
duty to their parents or guardians; and to make 
report thereof to the next Monthly Meeting, where 
the same parties are desired to give their attendance. 
In case it appears they have proceeded orderly, the 
meeting passes their proposal, and so records it in 
their meeting-book. And in ca^e the woman be a 
widow, and hath children, due care is there taken, 
that provision also be made by her for the orphans, 
before the meeting passes the proposals of maniage; 
advising the parties concerned to appoint a conve- 
nient time and place, and to give fitting notice to 
their relations, and such friends and neighbours as 
they desire should be the witnesses of their mar- 
riage; where they take one another by the hand, 



36 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

and by name promise reciprocally love and fidelity, 
after the manner before expressed. Of all wbich 
proceedings^ a narrative in ^Yay of certificate is made, 
to which the said parties first set their hands, 
thereby making it their act and deed; and then di- 
vers relations, spectators and auditors set their names 
as witnesses of what they said and signed. And 
this certificate is afterwards registered in the record 
belonging to the meeting where the marriage 
is solemnized. Which regular method has been, 
as it deserves, adjudged in courts of law a good 
marriage; where it has been by cross and ill people 
disputed and contested, for want of the accustomed 
formalities of priest and ring, &c.; ceremonies they 
have refused, not out of humour, but conscience 
reasonably grounded, inasmuch as no Scripture ex- 
ample tells us, that the priest had any other part, 
of old time, than that of a witness among the rest, 
before whom the Jews used to take one another. 
And therefore this people look upon it as an imposi- 
tion to advance the power and profits of the clergy. 
And foi the use of the ring, it is enough to say, 
that it was a heathenish and vain custom, and never 
in practice among the people of God, Jews or pri- 
mitive Christians. The words of the usual form, as, 
^^ With my body I thee worship,'' &c., are hardly 
defensible. In short, they are more careful, exact 
and regular than any form now used; and this mode 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 87 

is free of the inconveniences witli wliicli other me- 
thods are attended; their care and checks being so 
many, and such, as that no clandestine marriages 
can be performed among them. 

XL It may not be unfit to say something here 
of their births and burials, which make up so much 
of the pomp and solemnity of too many called 
Christians. For births, the parents name their own 
children; which is usually some days after they are 
born, in the presence of the midwife, if she can be 
there, and those that were at the birth; who after- 
wards sign a certificate for that purpose prepared^ 
of the birth and name of the child or children; which 
is recorded in a proper book, in the Monthly Meet- 
ing to which the parents belong; avoiding the ac- 
customed ceremonies and festivals. 

XII. Their burials are performed with the same 
simplicity. If the body of the deceased be near 
any public meeting-place, it is usually carried 
thither, for the more convenient reception of those 
that accompany it to the burying ground; and it so 
falls out sometimes, that while the meeting is ga- 
thering for the burial, some one or other has a word 
of exhortation, for the sake of the people there met 
together ; after which the body is borne away by 
young men, or else those that are of the neighbour- 
hood, or those that were most of the intimacy of 
the deceased party; the corpse being in a plain cof- 
4 



38 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

fin, without any covering or furniture upon it. At 
the ground, they pause some time before- they put 
the body into its grave, that if any there should have 
anything upon them to exhort the people, they may 
not be disappointed, and that the relations may the 
more retiredly and solemnly take their last leave of 
the body of their departed kindred, and the specta- 
tors have a sense of mortality, by the occasion then 
given them to reflect upon their own latter end. 
Otherwise, they have no set rites or ceremonies on 
those occasions. Neither do the kindred of the 
deceased ever wear mourning; they looking upon it 
as a worldly ceremony and piece of pomp; and that 
what mourning is fit for a Christian to have at the 
departure of a beloved relation or friend, should be 
worn in the mind, which only is sensible of the loss; 
and the love they had to them, and remembrance 
of them, to be outwardly expressed by a respect to 
their advice, and care of those they have left behind 
them, and their love of that they loved. Which 
conduct of theirs, though unmodish or unfashiona- 
ble, leaves nothing of the substance of things neg- 
lected or undone. And as they aim at no more, 
so, that simplicity of life is what they observe with 
great satisfaction, though it sometimes happens not 
to be without the mpckeries of the vain world they 
live in. 

These things to be sure gave them a rough and 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 39 

disagreeable appearance with the generality, who 
thought them turners of the world upside down, as 
indeed, in some sense they were; but in no other 
than that wherein Paul was so charged, viz., to 
bring things back into their primitive and right 
order again. For these and such like practices of 
theirs were not the result of humour, or for civil 
distinction, as some have fancied, but a fruit of in- 
ward sense, which God, through his holy fear, had 
begotten in them. They did not consider how to 
contradict the world, or distinguish themselves as a 
party from others; it being none of their business, 
as it was not their interest; no, it was not the result 
of consultation or a framed design by which to de- 
clare or recommend schism or novelty. But God 
having given them a sight of themselves, they saw 
the whole world in the same glass of truth, and 
sensibly discerned the affections and passions of men, 
and the rise and tendency of things; what it was 
that gratified the ^^lust of the flesh, the lust of the 
eye, and the pride of life, which are not of the 
Father, but of the world/' And from thence 
sprang, in the night of darkness and apostacy which 
hath been over people through their degeneration 
from the Light and Spirit of God, these and many 
other vain customs; which are seen by the heavenly 
day of Christ, that dawns in the soul, to be either 
wrong in their original, or by time and abuse, hurt- 



40 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

ful in their practice. And tliougli these things 
seemed trivial to some, and rendered these people 
stingy and conceited in such persons' opinion, there 
was and is more in them than they were aware of. 

It was not very easy to our primitive friends to 
make themselves sights and spectacles, and the 
scorn and derision of the world; which they easily 
foresaw must be the consequence of so unfashiona- 
ble a conversation in it. But here was the wis- 
dom of God seen in the foolishness of these 
things; first. That they discovered the satisfac- 
tion and concern that people had in and for the 
fashions of this world, notwithstanding their high 
pretences to another, in that anj disappointment 
about them came so very near them, as that the 
greatest honesty, virtue, wisdom, and ability were 
unwelcome without them. Secondly j It seasonably 
and profitably divided conversation; for this making 
their society uneasy to their relations and acquaint- 
ance, it gave them the opportunity of more retire- 
ment and solitude; wherein they met with better 
company, even the Lord God their Redeemer, and 
grew strong in his love, power, and wisdom, and 
were thereby better qualified for his service. And 
the success abundantly showed it: blessed be the 
name of the Lord. 

And though they were not great and learned in 
the esteem of this world^ (for then they had not 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 41 

wanted followers upon their own credit and autho- 
rity,) yet they were generally of the most sober of 
the several persuasions they were in, and of the 
most repute for religion; and many of them of good 
capacity, substance, and account among men. 

And also some among them wanted not for parts, 
learning or estate; though then, as of old, not many 
wise, or noble, &c., were called, or at least received 
the heavenly call, because of the cross that attended 
the profession of it in sincerity. But neither do 
parts nor learning make men the better Christians, 
though the better orators and disputants; and it is 
the ignorance of people about the divine gift, that 
causes that vulgar and mischievous mistake. Theory 
and practice, speculation and enjoyment, words and 
life, are two things. Oh! it is the penitent, the 
reformed, the lowly, the watchful, the self-denying 
and holy soul, that is the Christian. And that 
frame is the fruit and work of the Spirit, which is 
the life of Jesus; whose life, though hid in God 
the Father, is shed abroad in the hearts of them 
that truly believe. Oh! that people did but know 
this to cleanse them, to circumcise them, to quicken 
them, and to make them new creatures indeed; re- 
created or regenerated after Christ Jesus unto good 
works; that they might live to God, and not to 
themselves, and offer up living prayers and living 
praises to the living God, through his own living 
4* 



42 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

Spirit^ in whicli only he is to be Tvorsliippecl in tliis 
gospel day. 

Oh I that they that read me could but feel me; for 
my heart is affected with this merciful visitation of 
the Father of lights and spirits to this poor nation, 
and the whole world, through the same testimony. 
Why should the inhabitants thereof reject it? 
Why should they lose the blessed benefit of it? 
Why should they not turn to the Lord with all 
their hearts, and say from the heart, " Speak, Lord, 
for now thy poor servants hear? Oh ! that thy will 
may be done, thy great, thy good and holy will, in 
earth as it is in heaven. Do it in us, do it upon us, 
do what thou wilt with us; for we are thine, and 
desire to glorify thee our Creator, both for that, and 
because thou art our Redeemer; for thou art redeem- 
ing us from the earth, from the vanities and pollu- 
tions of it, to be a peculiar people unto thee/^ Oh! 
this were a brave day for England, if so she could 
say in truth. But alas! the case is otherwise: for 
which some of thine inhabitants, land of my 
nativity! have mourned over thee with bitter wail- 
ing and lamentation. Their heads have been in- 
deed as waters, and their eyes as fountains of tears, 
because of thy transgression and stiff-neckedness; 
because thou wilt not hear, and fear, and return to 
the rock, even thy rock, England! from whence 
thou art hewn. But be thou warned, land of 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 43 

great profession! to receive him into thy heart. Be- 
hold at that door it is, he hath stood so long knock- 
ing; but thou wilt yet have none of him. Oh! be 
thou awakened; lest Jerusalem's judgments do 
swiftly overtake thee, because of Jerusalem's sins 
that abound in thee. For she abounded in for- 
mality; but made void the weighty things of God's 
law as thou daily doest. 

She withstood the Son of God in the flesh, and' 
thou resistest the Son of God in the Spirit. He 
would have gathered her as a hen gathereth her 
chickens under her wings, and she would not; so 
would He have gathered thee out of thy lifeless 
profession, and have brought thee to inherit sub- 
stance, to have known his power and kingdom; for 
which He often knocked within, by his grace and 
Spirit, and without, by his servants and witnesses, 
but thou wouldst not be gathered. But on the con- 
trary, as Jerusalem of old persecuted the manifesta- 
tion of the Son of God in the flesh, and crucified 
him, and whipped and imprisoned his servants; so 
hast thou, land! crucified to thyself afresh the 
Lord of life and glory, and done despite to his Spi- 
rit of grace; slighting the Fatherly visitation, and 
persecuting the blessed dispensers of it by thy laws 
and magistrates; though they have early and late 
pleaded with thee in the power and Spirit of the 
Lord, in love and meekness, that thou mightest 



44 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

know the Lord^ and serve hini; and become the 
glory of all lands. 

But thou hast evilly entreated and requited them. 
Thou hast set at nought all their counsel, and 
wouldst have none of their reproof, as thou shouldst 
have had. Their appearance was too strait, and 
their qualifications were too mean for thee toleceive 
them; like the Jews of old, that cried, ^^Is not this the 
carpenter's son, and are not his brethren among us; 
which of the scribes, of the learned (the orthodox) 
believe in him?^^ prophesying their fall in a year 
or two, and making and executing severe laws to 
bring it to pass; endeavouring to terrify them out 
of their holy way, or destroy them for abiding faith- 
ful to it. But thou hast seen how many govern- 
ments that rose against them, and determined their 
downfall, have been overturned and extinguished, 
and that they are still preserved, and become a great 
and a considerable people, among the middle sort 
of thy numerous inhabitants. And notwithstanding 
the many difficulties without and within, which they 
have laboured under, since the Lord God Eternal 
first gathered them, they are an increasing people; 
the Lord still adding unto them, in divers parts, 
such as shall be saved, if they persevere to the end. 
And to thee, England ! were they, and are they 
lifted up as a standard, and as a city set upon a hill, 
and to the nations round about thee, that in their 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 45 

light thou majest come to see light^ even in Christ 
Jesus, the light of the world; and therefore thy 
light, and life too, if thou wouldst but turn from thy 
many evil ways, and receive and obey it. For in 
the Light of the Lamb must the nations of them 
that are saved walk, as the Scripture testifies. 

Remember, nation of great profession! how 
the Lord has waited upon thee since the dawning of 
reformation, and the many mercies and judgments 
by which he has pleaded with thee; and awake and 
arise out of thy deep sleep, and yet hear his word 
in thy heart, that thou mayst live. 

Let not this thy day of visitation pass over thy 
head, nor neglect thou so great salvation as is this 
which is come to thy house, England! for why 
shouldst thou die, land that God desires to bless? 
Be assured it is He that has been in the midst of 
this people, in the midst of thee; and not a delu- 
sion, as thy mistaken teachers have made thee 
believe. And this thou shalt find by their marks 
and fruits, if thou wilt consider them in the spirit 
of moderation. 

I. They were changed men themselves before they 
went abcpt to change others. Their hearts were 
rent as well as their garments; and they knew tlie 
power and work of God upon them. And this was 
seen by the great alteration it made, and their 



46 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

stricter course of life and more godly conversation 
tliat immediately followed upon it. 

II. They went not forth, or preached in their own 
time or will, but in the will of God; and spoke not 
their own studied matter, but as they were opened 
and moved of his Spirit, with which they were well 
acquainted in their own conversion; which cannot 
be expressed to carnal men, so as to give them any 
intelligible account; for to such it is, as Christ said, 
like the blowing of the wind, which no man knows, 
whence it cometh, or whither it goeth. Yet this 
proof and seal went along with their ministry, that 
many were turned from their lifeless professions, 
and the evil of their ways, to an inward and experi- 
mental knowledge of God, and a holy life, as thou- 
sands can witness. And as they freely received 
what they had to say from the Lord, so they freely 
administered it to others. 

III. The bent and stress of their ministry was 
conversion to God; regeneration and holiness. Not 
schemes of doctrines and verbal creeds, or new 
forms of worship; but a leaving off, in religion, the 
superfluous, and reducing the ceremonious and for- 
mal part, and pressing earnestly the substantial, the 
necessary and profitable part; as all, upon a serious 
reflection, must and do acknowledge. 

IV. They directed people to a principle in them- 
selves, though not of themselves, by which all that 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 47 

thej asserted, preached and exhorted others to, 
might be wrought in them, and known to them, 
through experience, to be true; which is a high 
and distinguishing mark of the truth of their minis- 
try, both that they knew what they said, and were 
not afraid of coming to the test. For as they were 
bold from certainty, so they required conformity 
upon no human authority, but upon conviction, and 
the conviction of this principle, which they asserted 
was in them that they preached unto; and unto that 
they directed them, that they might examine and 
prove the reality of those things which they had af- 
firmed of it, as to its manifestation and work in man. 
And this is more than the many ministers in the 
world pretended to. They declare of religion, say 
many things true, in words, of God, Christ, and the 
Spirit; of holiness and heaven; that all men should 
repent and amend their lives, or they will go to hell, 
&c. But which of them all pretend to speak of 
their own knowledge and experience; or ever di- 
rected to a divine principle, or agent, placed of God 
in man, to help him; and how to know it, and wait 
to feel ite power to work that good and acceptable 
will of God in them? 

Some of them indeed have spoken of the Spirit, 
and the operations of it to sanctification, and per- 
formance of worship to God; but where and how 
to find it, and wait in it to perform our duty to 



48 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

God, was yet as a mystery to be declared by this 
farther degree of reformation. So that this people 
did not only in words, more than equally press re- 
pentance, conversion and holiness, but did it know- 
ingly and experimentally; and directed those to 
whom they preached, to a sufficient principle; and 
told them where it was, and by what tokens they 
might know it, and which way they might experi- 
ence the power and efficacy of it to their souls' hap- 
piness. Which is more than theory and speculation, 
upon which most other ministers depend; for here 
is certainty; a bottom upon which man may boldly 
appear before God in the great day of account. 

V. They reached to the inward state and condi- 
tion of people, which is an evidence of the virtue 
of their principle, and of their ministering from 
it, and not from their own imaginations, glosses, or 
comments upon Scripture. For nothing reaches 
the heart, but what is from the heart, or pierces 
the conscience, but what comes from a living con- 
science. Insomuch that it hath often happened, 
where people have, under secrecy, revealed their 
state or condition to some choice friends for advice 
or ease, they have been so particularly directed in 
the ministry of this people, that they have chal- 
lenged their friends with discovering their secrets, 
and telling their preachers their cases, to whom a 
word had not been spoken. Yea, the very thoughts 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 49 

and purposes of tlie hearts of many have been so 
plainly detected, that they have, like Nathaniel, 
cried out, of this inward appearance of Christ: 
^^Thou art the Son of God, thoif art the King of 
Israel/^ And those that have embraced this divine 
principle have found this mark of its truth and di- 
vinity, (as the woman of Samaria did of Christ 
when in the flesh, that he was the Messiah,) viz., 
^^It had told them all that ever they had done;'^ 
shown them their insides, the most inward secrets 
of their hearts, and laid judgment to the line, and 
righteousness to the plummet; of which thousands 
can, at this day, give in their witness. So that 
nothing has been affirmed by this people, of the 
power and virtue of this heavenly principle, that 
such as have turned to it have not found true, and 
more; and that one-half had not been told them of 
what they have seen of the power, purity, wisdom 
and goodness of Grod therein. 

VI. The accomplishments with which this prin- 
ciple fitted, even some of the meanest of this peo- 
ple, for their work and service; furnishing some of 
them with an extraordinary understanding in divine 
things, and an admirable fluency and taking way of 
expression which gave occasion to some to wonder, 
saying of them as of their Master, " Is not this such 
a mechanic's son? how came he by this learning? ^^ 
As from thence others took occasion to suspect and 
5 



50 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

insinuate tliey were Jesuits in disguise, (who had the 
reputation of learned men for an age past,) though 
there was not the least ground of truth for any such 
reflection. In that their ministers are known, 
their place of abode, their kindred and education. 

VII. That they came forth low, and despised, and 
hated, as the primitive Christians did, and not by 
the help of worldly wisdom or power, as former re- 
formations, in part, have done. But in all things it 
may be said, this people were brought forth in the 
cross; in a contradiction to the ways, worships, fa- 
shions and customs of this world; yea, against wind 
and tide, that so no flesh might glory before God. 

They could have no design to themselves in this 
work, thus to expose themselves to scorn and abuse; 
to spend and be spent; leaving wife and children, * 
house and land, and all that can be accounted dear 
to men, with their lives in their hands, being daily 
in jeopardy, to declare this primitive message, re- 
vived in their spirits, by the good Spirit and power 
of God; viz. 

That God is light, and in him is no darkness at 
all; and that he has sent his Son a light into the 
world, to enlighten all men in order to salvation; 
and that they that say they have fellowship with 
God, and are his children and people, and yet walk 
in darkness, (viz. in disobedience to the light in 
their consciences,) and after the vanity of thiis 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 51 

world, they lie, and do not the truth. But that all 
such as love the light, and bring their deeds to it, 
and walk in the light, as Grod is light, the blood of 
Jesus Christ his Son, should cleanse them from al 
sin. 

VIII. Their known great constancy and patience 
in suffering for their testimony, in all the branches 
of it; and that sometimes unto death, by beatings, 
bruisings, long and crowded imprisonments, and 
noisome dungeons; four of them in New England 
dying by the hands of the executioner, purely for 
preaching amongst that people; besides banish- 
ments and excessive plunders and sequestrations of 
their goods and estates, almost in all parts, not 
easily to be expressed, and less to have been en- 
dured, but by those that have the support of a good 
and glorious cause, refusing deliverance by any in- 
direct ways or means, as often as it was offered unto 
them. 

IX. That they did not only not show any dispo- 
sition to revenge, when it was at any time in their 
power, but forgave their cruel enemies; showing 
mercy to those that had none for them. 

X. Their plainness with those in authority, like 
the ancient prophets, not fearing to tell them to 
their faces of their private and public sins; and their 
prophecies to them of their afflictions and downfall, 
when in the top of their glory; also of some national 



52 RISE AND PROGRESS OP 

judgments^ as of the plague, and fire of London, 
in express terms; and likewise particular ones to 
divers persecutors, wtich accordingly overtook them; 
that were very remarkable in the places where they 
dwelt; which in time may be made public for the 
glory of God. 

Thus, reader, thou seest this people in their rise, 
principles, ministry and progress, both their general 
and particular testimony; by which thou mayest be 
informed how, and upon what foot they sprang and 
became so considerable a people. It remains next 
that I show also their care, conduct, and discipline, 
as a Christian and reformed society, that they might 
be found living up to their own principles and pro- 
fession. And this, the rather, because they have 
hardly suffered more in their character from the 
unjust charge of error, than by the false imputa- 
tion of disorder; which calumny, indeed, has not 
failed to follow all the true steps that were ever 
made to reformation, and under which reproach 
none suffered more than the primitive Christians 
themselves, that were the honour of Christianity, 
and the great lights and examples of their own and 
succeeding ages. 

This people increasing daily, both in town and 
country, a holy care fell upon some of the elders 
among them, for the benefit and service of the 
church. And the first business in their view, after 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 53 

the example of tlie primitive saints, was the exer- 
cise of charity; to supply the necessities of the poor, 
and answer the like occasions. Wherefore, collec- 
tions were early and liberally made for that and 
divers other services in the church, and. intrusted 
with faithful men, fearing God, and of good report, 
who were not weary in well-doing; adding often of 
their own, in large proportions, which they never 
brought to account, or desired should be known, 
much less restored to them, that none might want, 
nor any service be retarded or disappointed. 

They were also very careful that every one that 
belonged to them answered their profession in their 
behaviour among men, upon all occasions; that they 
lived peaceably, and were in all things good ex- 
amples. They found themselves engaged to record 
their sufferings and services: and in case of mar- 
riage, which they could not perform in the usual 
methods of the nation, but among themselves, they 
took care that all things were clear between the 
parties and all others. And it was then rare that 
any one entertained an inclination to a person on 
that account, till he or she had communicated it 
secretly to some very weighty and eminent friends 
among them, that they might have a sense of the 
matter; looking to the counsel and unity of their 
brethren as of great moment to them. But because 
the charge of the poor, the number of orphans, 
5^ 



54 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

marriages^ sufiferings and other matters multiplied, 
and that it was good that the churches were in some 
way and method of proceeding in such affairs among 
them, to the end they might the better correspond 
upon occasion, where a member of one meeting 
might have to do with one of another; it pleased the 
Lord in his wisdom and goodness, to open the un- 
derstanding of the first Instrument of this dispen- 
sation of life, about a good and orderly way of pro- 
ceeding; who felt a holy concern to visit the 
churches in person throughout this nation, to begin 
and establish it among them. And by his epistles, 
the like was done in other nations and provinces 
abroad, which he also afterwards visited, and helped 
in that service; which shall be observed when I 
come to speak of him. 

Now the care, conduct and discipline, I have 
been speaking of, and which are now practised 
among this people, is as followeth. 

This godly elder, in every county where he tra- 
velled, exhorted them, that some out of every meet- 
ing for worship, should meet together once in the 
month, to confer about the wants and occasions of 
the church. And as the case required, so those 
Monthly Meetings were fewer or more in number 
in every respective county: four or six meetings for 
worship, usually making one monthly meeting for 
business. And accordingly the brethren met him 






THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 55 

from place to place^ and began the said meetings, 
viz.: For the poor, orphans, orderly walking, in- 
tegrity to their profession, births, marriages, burials, 
sufferings, &c. And that these Monthly Meetings 
should in each county, make up one Quarterly 
Meeting, where the most zealous and eminent 
friends of the county should assemble to communi- 
cate, advise and help one another, especially when 
any business seemed difficult, or a Monthly Meet- 
ing was tender of determining a matter. 

Also that these several Quarterly Meetings should 
digest the reports of their Monthly Meetings, and 
prepare one for each respective county against the 
Yearly Meeting, in which all Quarterly Meetings 
resolve; which is held in London; where the churches 
in this nation, and other nations and province^, 
meet by chosen members of their respective counties, 
both mutually to communicate their church-affairs, 
and to advise, and be advised, in any depending 
case, to edification: also to provide a requisite stock 
for the discharge of general expenses for general 
services in the church, not needful to be here par* 
tieularized. 

At these meetings any of the members of the 
churches, may come, if they please, and speak their 
minds freely, in the fear of God, to any matter: but 
the mind of each Quarterly Meeting, therein repre- 
sented, is chiefly understood, as to particular cases, 



56 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

in tlie sense delivered by the persons deputed; or 
chosen for that service by the said meeting. 

DuriDg their Yearly Meeting, to which their other 
meetings refer in their order, and naturally resolve 
themselves, care is taken by a select number for 
that service, chosen by the general assembly, to 
draw up the minutes of the said meeting, upon the 
several matters that have been under consideration 
therein, to the end that the respective Quarterly and 
Monthly Meetings may be informed of all proceed- 
ings; together with a general exhortation to holiness, 
unity and charity. Of all which proceedings in 
the Yearly, Monthly and Quarterly meetings, due 
record is kept by some one appointed for that ser- 
vice, or that hath voluntarily undertaken it. These 
meetings are opened, and usually concluded, in their 
solemn waiting upon God, who is sometimes gra- 
ciously pleased to answer them with as signal evi- 
dences of his love and presence, as in any of their 
meetings of worship. 

It is further to be noted, that in these solemn 
assemblies for the churches' service, there is no one 
presides among them after the manner of the assem- 
blies of other people; Christ only being their Pre- 
sident, as He is pleased to appear in life and wisdom 
in any one or more of them; to whom, whatever be 
their capacity or degree, the rest adhere with a firm 
unity, not of authority, but conviction, which is the 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 57 

divine authority and way of Christ's power and 
Spirit in his people: making good his blessed pro- 
mise, that he would be in the midst of his, where 
and whenever they were met together in his name, 
even to the end of the world. So be it. 

Now it may be expected, I should here set down 
what sort of authority is exercised by this people, 
upon such members of their society as correspond 
not in their lives with their profession, and that 
are refractory to this good and wholesome order 
settled among them; and the rather, because they 
have not wanted their reproach and sufferings from 
some tongues and pens, upon this occasion, in a 
plentiful manner. 

The power they exercise, is such as Christ has 
given to his own people, to the end of the world, in 
the persons of his disciples, viz. to oversee, exhort, 
reprove, and after long suffering and waiting upon 
the disobedient and refractory, to disown them, as 
any more of their communion, or that they will any 
longer stand charged in the sight and judgment of 
God or men, with their conversation or behaviour, 
as any of them, until they repent. The subject- 
matter about which this authority, in any of the 
foregoing branches of it, is exercised; is first, in re- 
lation to common and general practice; and secondly, 
about those things that more strictly refer to their 
own character and profession, and which distinguish 



58 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

them from all other professors of Christianity; 
avoiding two extremes upon which many split^ viz. 
persecution and libertinism: that is, a coercive power, 
to whip people into the temple; that such as will 
not conform, though against faith and conscience, 
shall be puni^shed in their persons or estates: or 
leaving all loose and at large, as to practice, and so 
unaccountable to all but God and the magistrate. 
To which hurtful extreme, nothing has more con- 
tribute>il than the abuse of church power, by such as 
suffer their passion and private interests to prevail 
with them to carry it to outward force and corporal 
punishment — a practice they have been taught to 
dislike, by their extreme sufferings, as well as their 
known principle for a universal liberty of con- 
science. 

On the other hand, they equally dislike an inde- 
pendency in society; an unaccountableness, in prac- 
tice and conversation, to the rules and terms of their 
own communion, and to those that are the members 
of it. They distinguish between imposing any prac- 
tice that immediately regards faith or worship, (which 
is never to be done or suffered, or submitted unto) 
and requiring Christian compliance with those me- 
thods that only respect church-business in its more 
civil part and concern; and that regard the discreet 
and orderly maintenance of the character of the so- 
ciety as a sober and religious community In short. 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 59 

what is for the promotion of holiness and charity, 
that men may practise what they profess, live up to 
their own principles, and not be at liberty to give 
the lie to their own profession without rebuke, 
is their use and limit of Church power. They 
compel none to join them, but oblige those that 
are of them to walk suitably, or they are denied 
by them: that is all the mark they set upon them, 
and the power they exercise, or judge a Christian 
society can exercise, upon those that are the mem- 
bers of it. 

The way of their proceeding against such as have 
lapsed or transgressed, is this : he is visited by some 
of them, and the matter of fact laid home to him, 
be it any evil practice against known and general 
virtue, or any branch of their particular testimony, 
which he, in common, professeth with them. They 
labour with him in much love and zeal, for the good 
of his soul, the honour of Grod, and reputation of 
their profession, to own his fault and condemn it, 
in as ample a manner as the evil or scandal was 
given by him; which for the most part is performed 
by some written testimony under the party's hand: 
and if it so happen, that the party prove refractory, 
and is not willing to clear the truth they profess, 
from the reproach of his or her evil doing or un- 
faithfulness, they, after repeated entreaties and due 
waiting for a token of repentance, give forth a pa- 
per to disown such a fact, and the party offending; 



60 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

recording the same as a testimony of their care for 
the honour of the truth they profess. 

And if he or she shall clear their profession and 
themselves by sincere acknowledgment of their 
faulty and godly sorrow for so doings they are re- 
ceived and looked upon again as members of their 
communion. For as God, so his true people, up- 
braid no man after repentance. 

This is the account I have to give of the people 
of Grod called Quakers, as to their rise, appearance, 
principles and practices in this age of the world, 
both with respect to their faith and worship, disci- 
pline and conversation. And I judge it very proper 
in this place, because it is to preface the journal of 
the first blessed and glorious instrument of this 
work, and for a testimony to him in his singular 
qualifications and services, in which he abundantly 
excelled in this day, and which are worthy to be set 
forth as an example to all succeeding times, to the 
glory of the Most High God, and for a just memo- 
rial to that worthy and excellent man. His faithful 
servant and apostle to this generation of the world. 

I am now come to the third head or branch of 
my subject, viz. The instrumental author. For it 
is natural for some to say. Well, here are the people 
and work, but where and who was the man, the in- 
strument — he that iu this age was sent to begin this 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 61 

work and people ? I shall^ as God shall enable me, 
declare who and what he was; not only by report of 
others, but from my own long and most inward con- 
verse, and intimate knowledge of him; for which 
my soul blesseth Grod as it hath often done: and I 
doubt not, but by that time I have discharged my- 
self of this part of my subject, my serious readers 
will believe I had good cause so to do. 

The blessed instrument of and in this day of Grod, 
and of whom I am now about to write, was George 
Fox, distinguished from another of that name, by 
that other's addition of younger to his name, in all 
his writings; not that he was so in years, but that 
he was so in the Truth : but he was also a worthy 
man, witness and servant of God in his time. 

But this George Fox was born in Leicestershire, 
about the year 1624. He descended of honest and 
sufficient parents, who endeavoured to bring him 
up, as they did the rest of their children, in the 
way and worship of the nation : especially his mother, 
who was a woman accomplished above most of her 
degree in the place where she lived. But from a 
child he appeared of another frame of mind than 
the rest of his brethren; being more religious, in- 
ward, still, solid, and observing beyond his years, as 
the answers he would give, and the questions he 
would put, upon occasion; manifested, to the asto- 
6 



62 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

nisliment of those that heard him, especially in divine 
things. 

His mother, taking notice of his singular tem- 
per, and the gravity, wisdom and piety, that very 
early shined through him, refusing childish and 
vain sports and company when very young, was ten- 
der and indulgent over him, so that from her he 
met with little difficulty. As to his employment, 
he was brought up in country business, and as he 
took most delight in sheep, so he was very skilful 
in them; an employment that very well suited his 
mind in several respects, both for its innocency and 
solitude; and was a just emblem of his after ministry 
and service. 

I shall not break in upon his own account, which 
is by much the best that can be given; and there- 
fore desire what I can, to avoid saying any thing of 
what is said already, as to the particular passages 
of his coming forth; but, in general, when he was 
somewhat above twenty, he left his friends, and 
visited the most retired and religious people. And 
some there were at that time in this nation, espe- 
cially in those parts, who waited for the consolation 
of Israel, night and day, as Zacharias, Anna, and 
good old Simeon did of old time. To these he was 
sent, and these he sought out in the neighbouring 
counties, and among them he sojourned, till his 
more ample ministry came upon him. At this time 



THE SOCIETY OF ERIENBS. 63 

he taught^ and was an example of silence^ endea- 
vouring to bring them from self-performances; tes- 
tifying of, and turning them to the light of Christ 
within them, and encouraging them to wait in 
patience, and to feel the power of it to stir in their 
hearts, that their knowledge and worship of God 
might stand in the power of an endless life, which 
was to be found in the light, as it was obeyed in the 
manifestation of it in man. For in the Word was 
life, and that life is the light of men. Life in the 
Word, light in men; and life in men too, as the 
light is obeyed: the children of the light living by 
the life of the Word, by which the Word begets 
them again to God, which is the regeneration and 
new birth, without which there is no coming into 
the kingdom of God : and to which whoever comes, 
is greater than John ; that is, than John's dispensa- 
tion, which was not that of the kingdom, but the 
consummation of the legal, and forerunning of the 
gospel-times. Accordingly, several meetings were 
gathered in those parts ; and thus his time was em- 
ployed for some years. 

In 1652, he being in his usual retirement, his 
mind exercised towards the Lord, upon a very 
high mountain ( in some of the hither parts of 
Yorkshire, as I take it), he had a vision of the 
great work of God in the earth, and of the way 
that he was to go forth in a public Ministry to 
begin it. He saw people as thick as motes 



64 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

in the sun, that should in time be brought home to 
the Lord, that there might be but one Shepherd 
and one sheepfold in all the earth. There his eye 
was directed northward, beholding a great people 
tnat should receive him and his message in those 
parts. Upon this mountain he was moved of the 
Lord to sound out his great and notable day, as if 
he had been in a great auditory; and from thence 
went north, as the Lord had shown him. And in 
every place where he came, if not before he came 
to it, he had his particular exercise and service 
shown to him, so that the Lord was his Leader in- 
deed. For it was not in vain that he travelled; God 
in most places sealing his commission with the con- 
vincement of some of all sorts, as well publicans as 
sober professors of religion. Some of the first and 
most eminent of those that came forth in a public 
ministry, and which are now at rest, were Richard 
Tarnsworth, James Nayler, William Dewsberry, 
Thos. Aldam, Francis Howgil, Edward Burroughs, 
John Camm, John Audland, Eichard Hubberthorn, 
T. Taylor, T. Holmes, Alexander Parker, William 
gimson, William Caton, John Stubbs, Robert Wid- 
ders, John Burnyeat, Robert Lodge, Thomas Salt- 
house, and many more worthies, that cannot be well 
here named; together with divers yet living of the 
first and great convincement, who, after the know- 
ledge of Grod^s purging judgment in themselves, 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 65 

and some time of 'waiting in silence upon him^ to 
feel and receive power from on high to speak in 
his name, (which none else rightly can, though they 
may use thcvsame words) they felt its divine motions, 
and were frequently drawn forth, especially to visit 
the public assemblies, to reprove, inform, and ex- 
hort them; sometimes in markets, fairs, streets, and 
by the highway side; calling people to repentance, 
and to turn to the Lord with their hearts as well 
as their mouths; directing them to the light of 
Christ within them, to see, examine, and consider 
their ways by, and to eschew the evil, and do the 
good and acceptable will of God. And they suf- 
fered great hardships for this their love and good 
will; being often stocked, stoned, beaten, whipped 
and imprisoned, though honest men, and of good 
report where they lived, that had left wives, child- 
ren, houses, and lands, to visit them with a living 
call to repentance. And though the priests gene- 
rally set themselves to oppose them, and writo 
against them, and insinuated most false and scan- 
dalous stories to defame them, stirring up the magis- 
trates to suppress them, especially in those northern 
parts; yet God was pleased so to fill them with his 
living power, and give them such an open door of 
utterance in his service, that there was a mighty 
convincement over those parts. 

And through the tender and singular indulgence 
6* 



66 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

of Judge Bradshaw, and Judge Fell; in the infancy 
of things^ tlie priests were never able to gain the 
point they laboured for, which was to have pro- 
ceeded to blood: and, if possible, Herod-like, by a 
cruel exercise of the civil power, to have cut them 
off, and rooted them out of the country: but espe- 
cially Judge Fell, who was not only a check to their 
rage in the course of legal proceedings, but other- 
wise upon occasion, and finally countenanced this 
people. For his wife receiving the Truth with the 
first, it had that influence upon his spirit, being a 
just and wise man, and seeing in his own wife and 
family a full confutation of all the popular cla- 
mours against the way of truth, that he covered 
them what he could, and freely opened his doors, 
and gave up his house to his wife and her friends; 
not valuing the reproach of ignorant or evil-minded 
people; which I here mention to his or her honour, 
and which will be, I believe, an honour and a bless- 
ing to such of their name and family, as shall be 
found in that tenderness, humility, love and zeal for 
the Truth and people of the Lord. 

That house was for some years, at first especially, 
till the Truth had opened its way into the southern 
parts of this island, an eminent receptacle of this 
people. Others, of good note and substance in 
those northern countries, had also opened their 
houses, together with their hearts, to the many pub- 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 67 

lisliers, that, in a short time, the Lord had raised 
to declare his salvation to the people; and where 
meetings of the Lord's messengers were frequently 
held, to communicate their services and exercises, 
and comfort and edify one another in their blessed 
ministry. 

But lest this may be thought a digression, having 
touched upon this before, I return to this ex- 
cellent man; and for his personal qualities, both 
natural, moral and divine, as they appeared in his 
converse with the brethren, and in the church of 
God, take as follows: 

1. He was a man that Grod endued with a clear 
and wonderful depth; a discerner of others' spirits, 
and very much a master of his own. And though 
that side of his understanding which lay next to the 
world, and especially the expression of it, might 
sound uncouth and unfashionable to nice ears, his 
matter was nevertheless very profound; and would 
not only bear to be often considered, but the more 
it was so, the more weighty and instructing it ap- 
peared. And as abruptly and brokenly as some- 
times his sentences would seem to fall from him, 
about divine things, it is well known they were often 
as texts to many fairer declarations. And, indeed, 
it showed beyond all contradiction, that God sent 
him; in that no art or parts had any share in the 
matter or manner of his ministry; and that so many 



68 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

great; excellent^ and necessary truths as lie came 
forth to preach to mankind, had therefore nothing 
of man's wit or wisdom to recommend them. So 
that as to man he was an original, being no man's 
copy. And his ministry and writings show they 
are from one that was not taught of man, nor had 
learned what he said by study. Nor were they no- 
tional or speculative, but sensible and practical 
truths, tending to conversion and regeneration, and 
the setting up of the kingdom of God in the hearts 
of men. And the way of it was hfe work. So that 
I have many times been overcome in myself, and 
been made to say, with my Lord and Master, upon 
the like occasion, ^^I thank thee, Father, Lord 
of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things 
from the wise and prudent of this world, and re- 
vealed them to babes.'^ For many times hath my soul 
bowed in an humble thankfulness to the Lord, that 
he did not choose any of the wise and learned of 
this world to be the first messenger in our age, of 
his blessed truth to men; but that he took one that 
was not of high degree, or elegant speech, or learned 
after the way of this world, that his message and 
work, he sent him to do, might come with less sus- 
picion, or jealousy of human wisdom and interest, 
and with more force and clearness up(^ the con- 
sciences of those that sincerely sought the way of 
truth in the love of it. I say, beholding with the 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 69 

eye of my mind, wliicli the God of heaven had 
opened in me, the marks of God's finger and hand 
visibly in this testimony, from the clearness of the 
principle, the power and efficacy of it, in the ex- 
emplary sobriety, plainness, zeal, steadiness, humi- 
lity, gravity, punctuality, charity and circumspect 
care in the government of church affairs, vrhich 
shined in his and their life and testimony that God 
employed in this work, it greatly confirmed me that 
it was of God, and engaged my soul in a deep love, 
fear, reverence and thankfulness for his love and 
mercy therein to mankind : in which mind I remain, 
and shall, I hope, to the end of my days. 

II. In his testimony or ministry, he much la- 
boured to open truth to the people's understandings, 
and to bottom them upon the principle and princi- 
pal, Christ Jesus, the Light of the world; that by 
bringing them to something that was from God in 
themselves, they might the better know and judge 
of him and themselves. 

III. He had an extraordinary gift in opening the 
Scriptures. He would go to the marrow of things, 
and show the mind, harmony and fulfilling of them 
with much plainness, and to great comfort and edi- 
fication. 

IV. The mystery of the first and second Adam, of 
the fall and restoration, of the law and gospel, of 
shadows and substance, of the servant's and son's 



70 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

state; and the fulfilling of the Scriptures in Christ, 
and by Christy the true Light, in all that are his, 
through the obedience of faith, were much of the 
substance and drift of his testimonies. In all which 
he was witnessed to be of God; being sensibly felt 
to speak that which he had received of Christ, and 
was his own experience, in that which never errs 
nor fails. 

V. But above all, he excelled in prayer. The 
inwardness and weight of his spirit, the reverence 
and solemnity of his address and behaviour, and the 
fewness and fulness of his words, have often struck 
even strangers with admiration, as they used to 
reach others with consolation. The most awful, 
living, reverent frame I ever felt or beheld, I must 
say, was his in prayer. And truly it was a testi- 
mony he knew and lived nearer to the Lord than 
other men; for they that know him most, will see 
most reason to approach him with reverence and 
fear. 

VI. He was of an innocent life, no busybody, nor 
self-seeker; neither touching nor critical. What 
fell from him was very inoffensive, if not very edi- 
fying. So meek, contented, modest, easy, steady, 
tender, it was a pleasure to be in his company. 
He exercised no authority but over evil, and thai 
every where, and in all; but with love, compassioi 
and long-suffering. A most merciful man, as ready 



THE SOCIETY OE FRIENDS. 71 

to forgive, as unapt to take or give -an offence. 
Thousands can truly say he was of an excellent spirit 
and savour among them; and because thereof, the 
most excellent spirits loved him with an unfeigned 
and unfading love. 

VII. He was an incessant labourer : for in his 
younger time, before his many, great and deep suffer- 
ings and travels had enfeebled his body for itinerant 
services, he laboured much in the word and doctrine, 
and discipline, in England, Scotland and Ireland; 
turning many to God, and confirming those that 
were convinced of the truth, and settling good order, 
as to church affairs, among them. And towards 
the conclusion of his travelling services, between 
the years 1671 and 1677, he visited the churches 
of Christ in the plantations in America, and in the 
United Provinces, and Germany, as his journal re- 
lates, to the convincement and consolation of many. 
After that time he chiefly resided in and about the 
city of London. And besides his labour in the mi- 
nistry, which was frequent and serviceable, he wrote 
much, both to them that are within, and those that 
are without the communion. But the care he took 
of the affairs of the church in general was very 
great. 

VIII. He was often where the records of the busi- 
ness of the church are kept, and where the letters 
from the many meetings of God's people over all the 



72 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

world use to come. Wliich letters lie had read to 
him^ and communicated tliem to the meeting that 
is weekly held for such services; and he would be 
sure to stir them up to answer them, especially in 
suffering cases; showing great sympathy and com- 
passion upon all such occasions; carefully looking 
into the respective cases, and endeavouring speedy 
relief, according to the nature of them. So that the 
churches, or any of the suffering members thereof, 
were sure not to be forgotten or delayed in their de- 
sires, if he were there. 

IX. As he was unwearied, so he was undaunted 
in his services for God and his people. He was no 
more to be moved to fear than to wrath. His be- 
haviour at Derby, Litchfield, Appleby, before Oliver 
Cromwell, at Launceston, Scarborough, Worcester, 
and Westminster-Hall, with many other places and 
exercises, did abundantly evidence it, to his enemies 
as well as his friends. 

But as in the primitive times, some rose up 
against the blessed apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
even from among those that they had turned to the 
hope of the gospel, and they became their greatest 
trouble; so this man of God had his share of suffering 
from some that were convinced by him, who, through 
prejudice or mistake, ran against him, as one that 
sought dominion over conscience, because he pressed, 
by his presence or epistles, a ready and zealous com- 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 73 

plianee witli such good and wliolesome ttiiigs as 
tended to an orderly conversation about tlie affairs 
of the church, and in their walking before men, 
That which contributed much to this ill work was in 
some, a begrudging of this meek man the love and 
esteena he had and deserved in the hearts of the 
people; and weakness in others, that were taken 
with their groundless suggestions of imposition and 
blind obedience. 

They would have had every man independent; 
that as he had the principle in himself, he should 
stand or fall to that only, and nobody else : not con- 
sidering that the principle is one in all; and though 
the measure of light or gr^ce might differ, yet the 
nature of it was the same; and being so, they struck 
at the spiritual unity, which a people, guided by the 
same principle, are naturally led into: so that what 
is an evil to one, is so to all, and what is virtuous, 
honest, and of good repute to one, is so to all, the 
sense and savor of the one universal principle which 
is common to all, and which the disaffected also pro- 
fess to be the root of all true Christian fellowship, and 
that spirit into which the people of God drink, and 
come to be spiritually-minded, and of one heart and 
one soul. 

Some weakly mistook good order in the govern- 
ment of church affairs for discipline in worship, and 
that it was so pressed or recommended by him and 
7 



74 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

other bretliren. And thereupon they were ready 
to reflect the same things that dissenters had very 
reasonably objected upon the national churches, that 
have coercively pressed conformity to their respec- 
tive creeds and worships. Whereas these things 
related wholly to conversation, and the outward, 
(and as I may say,) civil part of the church; that 
men should walk up to the principles of their belief, 
and not be wanting in care and charity. But though 
some have stumbled and ftdlen, through mistakes, 
and an unreasonable obstinacy even to a prejudice; 
yet blessed be God, the generality have returned to 
their first love, and seen the work of the enemy, 
that loses no opportunity or advantage by which he 
may check or hinder the work of God, and disquiet 
the peace of his church, and chill the love of his 
people to the truth, and one to another; and there 
is hope of divers of the few that yet are at a distance. 

In all these occasions, though there was no per- 
son the discontented struck so sharply at, as 
this good man, he bore all their weakness and pre- 
judice, and returned not reflection for reflection; 
but forgave them their weak and bitter speeches, 
praying for them, that they might have a sense of 
their hurt, and see the subtilty of the enemy to 
rend and divide, and return into their first love that 
thought no ill. 

And truly I must say, that though God had vi- 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. i O 

sibly clotlied him with a divine preference and au- 
thority, and indeed his very presence expressed a 
religious majesty; yet he never abused it; but held 
his place in the church of God with great meekness, 
and a most engaging humility and moderation. For 
upon all occasions, like his blessed Master, he was a 
servant to all; holding and exercising his eldership 
in the invisible power that had gathered them, with 
reverence to the head and care over the body; and 
was received, only in that spirit and power of Christ, 
as the first and chief elder in this age: who, as he 
was therefore worthy of double honour, so for the 
same reason it was given by the faithful of this day, 
because his authority was inward and not outward, 
and that he got it and kept it by the love of God, 
and power of an endless life. I write my know- 
ledge, and not report, and my witness is true; 
having been with him for weeks and months to- 
gether on divers occasions, and those of the nearest 
and most exercising nature; and that by night and 
by day, by sea and by land; in this and in foreign 
countries: and I can say, I never saw him out of his 
place, or not a match for every service or occasion. 
For in all things he acquitted himself like a man, 
yea, a strong man, a new and heavenly-minded man, 
a divine and a naturalist, and all of God Almighty's 
making. I have been surprised at his questions 
and answers in natural things; that whilst he was 



76 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

ignorant of useless and sophistical science; he had 
in him the grounds of useful and commendable 
knowledge^ and cherished it everywhere: civil be- 
yond all forms of breeding, in his behaviour; very 
temperate, eating little, and sleeping less, though a 
bulky person. 

Thus he lived and sojourned among us. And as 
he lived, so he died; feeling the same eternal power 
that had raised and preserved him, in his last mo- 
ments. So full of assurance was he, that he tri- 
umphed over death; and so even in his spirit to the 
last, as if death were hardly worth notice, or a men- 
tion : recommending to some of us with him, the de- 
spatch and dispersion of an epistle just before given 
forth by him to the churches of Christ throughout 
the world, and his own books; but above all, friends, 
and of all friends, those in Ireland and America; 
twice over saying. Mind poor friends in Ireland and 
America. 

And to some that came in and inquired how he 
found himself, he answered, ^^ Never heed, the 
Lord's power is over all weakness and death; the 
seed reigns, blessed be the Lord:'^ which was about 
four or five hours before his departure out of this 
world. He was at the great meeting near Lombard 
street, on the first day of the week, and it was the 
third following, about ten at night when he left us, 
being at the house of H. Goldney in the same court. 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 77 

In a good old age he went, after having lived to 
see his children's children in the truth to many ge- 
nerations. He had the comfort of a short illness, 
and the blessing of a clear sense to the last: and we 
may truly say with a man of God of old, that being 
dead, he yet speaketh; and though now absent in 
body, he is present in spirit: neither time nor 
place being able to interrupt the communion of 
saints, or dissolve the fellowship of the spirits of 
the just. His works praise him, because they are 
to the praise of Him that wrought by him; for 
which his memorial is and shall be blessed. I have 
done, as to this part of my subject, when I have 
left this short epitaph to his name: ^^ Many sons 
have done virtuously in this day; but, dear George, 
thou excellest them all/^ 

And now, friends, you that profess to walk in 
the way that this blessed man was sent of God to 
turn us into; suffer, I beseech you, the word of ex- 
hortation, as well fathers as children, and elders as 
young men. The glory of this day, and foundation 
of the hope that has not made us ashamed since 
we were a people, you know, is that blessed principle 
of light and life of Christ which we profess, and 
direct all people to, as the great and divine instru- 
ment and agent of man's conversion to God. It 
was by this that we were first touched and effec- 
7* 



78 KISE AND PROGRESS OF 



^ 



tually enliglitened^ as to our inward state; wliicli 
put us upon the consideration of our latter end; 
causing us to set tlie Lord before our ejes^ and to 
number our days^ tbat we might apply our hearts 
to wisdom. In that day we judged not after the 
sight of the eye, nor after the hearing of the ear; 
but according to the light and sense this blessed 
principle gave us, so we judged and acted in refer- 
ence to things and persons, ourselves and others; 
yea, towards God our Maker. For being quickened 
by it in our inward man, we could easily discern 
the difference of things, and feel what was right, 
and what was wrong, and what was fit, and what 
not, both in reference to religious and civil concerns. 
That being the ground of the fellowship of all saints, 
it was in that our fellowship stood. In this we de- 
sired to have a sense of one another, acted, towards 
one another, and all men, in love, faithfulness, and 
fear. 

In feeling of the stirrings and motions of this 
principle in our hearts, we drew near to the Lord, 
and waited to be prepared by it, that we might feel 
drawings and movings before we approached the 
Lord in prayer, or opened our mouths in ministry. 
And in our beginning and ending wath this, stood 
our comfort, service, and edification. And as we 
ran faster or fell short in our services, we made 
burdens for ourselves to bear; finding in ourselves 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 79 

a rebuke instead of an acceptance; and in lieu of 
well done, who has required this at your hands? 
In that day we were an exercised people, our very 
countenances and deportment declared it. 

Care for others was then much upon us, as well 
as for ourselves; especially of the young convinced. 
Often had we the burden of the word of the Lord 
to our neighbours, relations, and acquaintance, and 
sometimes strangers also. We were in travail like- 
wise for one another's preservation; not seeking, but 
shunning occasions of any coldness or misunder- 
standing; treating one another as those that be- 
lieved and felt God present: which kept our con- 
versation innocent, serious, and weighty; guarding 
ourselves against the cares and friendships of the 
world. 

We held the truth in the spirit of it, and not in 
our own spirits, or after our own will and affections: 
they were bowed and brought into subjection, inso- 
much that it was visible to them that knew us. 
We did not think ourselves at our own disposal, to 
go where we list, or say or do what we list or when 
we list. Our liberty stood in the liberty of the 
Spirit of Truth; and no pleasure, no profit, no fear, 
no favour, could draw us from this retired, strict, 
and watchful frame. We were so far from seeking 
occasions of company, that we avoided them what 
we could; pursuing our own business with mode- 



80 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

ration, instead of meddling with other people's un- 
necessarily. 

Our words were few and savory, our looks com- 
posed and weighty, and our whole deportment very 
observable. True it is, that this retired and strict 
sort of life from the liberty of the conversation of 
the world, exposed us to the censures of many, as 
humourists, conceited and self-righteous persons, &c. 
But it was our preservation from many snares, to 
which others were continually exposed, by the pre- 
valency of the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, 
and the pride of life, that wanted no occasions or 
temptations to excite them abroad in the converse 
of the world. 

I cannot forget the humility and chaste zeal of 
that day. Oh! how constant at meetings, how re- 
tired in them, how firm to Truth's life as well as 
Truth's principles! And how entire and united in 
our communion, as indeed became those that pro- 
fess one Head, even Christ Jesus the Lord, 

This being the testimony and example the man 
of God, before-mentioned, was sent to declare and 
leave amongst us, and we having embraced the same 
as the merciful visitation of God to us, the word of 
exhortation at this time is. That we continue to be 
found in the way of this testimony, with all zeal and 
integrity, and so much the more, by how much the 
day draweth near. 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 81 

And first, as to you, my beloved and much ho- 
noured brethren in Christ, that are in the exercise 
of the ministry: Oh! feel life in your ministry — let 
life be your commission, your well-spring and treasury 
on all such occasions: else you well know, there can 
be no begetting to God, since nothing can quicken 
or make people alive to God, but the life of God ; 
and it must be a ministry in and from life, that en- 
livens any people to God. We have seen the fruit 
of all other ministries, by the few that are turned 
from the evil of their ways. It is not our parts, or 
memory, or the repetition of former openings, in 
our own will and time, that will do God's work". 
A dry doctrinal ministry, however sound in words, 
can reach but the ear, and is but a dream at the 
best : there is another soundness, that is soundest 
of all, viz. : Christ the power of God. This is the 
key of David, that opens and none shuts, and shuts 
and none can open : as the oil to the lamp, and the 
soul to the body, so is that to the best of words : 
which made Christ to say, ^^My words, they are 
Spirit, and they are life;^^ that is, they are from 
life, and therefore they make you alive, that re- 
ceive them. If the disciples, that had lived with 
Jesus, were to stay at Jerusalem till they received 
it, much more must we wait to receive before we 
minister, if we will turn people from darkness to 
light, and from Satan's power to God. 



82 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

I fervently bow my knees to tlie God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you may always be 
like-minded, that you may ever wait reverently, for 
the coming and opening of the Word of Life, and 
attend upon it in your ministry and service, that 
you may serve God in his Spirit. And be it little 
or be it much, it is well, for much is not too much, 
and the least is enough, if from the motion of God's 
Spirit; and without it, verily, never so little is too 
much, because to no profit. 

For it is the Spirit of the Lord immediately, or 
through the ministry of his servants, that teacheth 
his people to profit ; and to be sure, so far as we take 
Him along with us in our services, so far we are 
profitable, and no farther. For if it be the Lord 
that must work all things in us for our salvation, 
much more is it the Lord that must work in us for 
the conversion of others. If, therefore, it was once 
a cross to us to speak, though the Lord required it 
at our hands, let it never be so to be silent when he 
does not. 

It is one of the most dreadful sayings in the 
book of God, that ^^He that adds to the words of 
the prophecy of this book, God will add to him 
the plagues written in this book.'' to keep back 
the counsel of God is as terrible; for "he that takes 
away from the words of the book of this prophecy, 
God shall take away his part out of the book of life.'' 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 83 

And truly, it has great caution in it, to those that 
use the name of the Lord, to be well assured the 
Lord speaks, that they may not be found of the 
number of those that add to the words of the testi- 
mony of prophecy, which the Lord giveth them to 
bear; nor yet to mince or diminish the same, both 
being so very offensive to God. 

Wherefore, brethren, let us be careful neither to 
outgo our Guide, nor yet loiter behind him : since 
he that makes haste, may miss his way, and he that 
stays behind, lose his guide. For even those that 
have received the word of the Lord, had need wait 
for wisdom, that they may see how to divide the 
word aright: which plainly implieth, that it is pos- 
sible for one that hath received the word of the 
Lord, to miss in the dividing and application of it; 
which must come from an impatience of spirit, and 
a self-working, which makes an unsound and dan- 
gerous mixture, and will hardly beget a right-minded 
living people to God. 

I am earnest in this above all other considera- 
tions, as to public brethren; well knowing how 
much it concerns the present and future state and 
preservation of the church of Christ Jesus, that has 
been gathered and built up by a living and power- 
ful ministry, that the ministry be held, preserved 
and continued in the manifestations, motions and 
supplies of the same life and powei; from time to 
time. 



84 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

And wherever it is observed, that any do minis- 
ter more from gifts and parts, than life and power, 
though they have an enhghtened and doctrinal un- 
derstanding, let them in time be advised and ad- 
monished for their preservation; because insensibly 
such will come to depend upon a ^ self-sufficiency; 
to forsake Christ the living fountain, and hew out 
unto themselves cisterns that will hold no living 
waters; and by degrees, such will come to draw 
others from waiting upon the gift of God in them- 
selves, and to feel it in others, in order to their 
strength and refreshment, to wait upon them, and 
to turn from Grod to man again, and so make ship- 
wreck of the faith once delivered to the saints, and 
of a good conscience towards God; which are only 
kept by that divine gift of life, that begat the one, 
and awakened and sanctified the other in the be- 
ginning. 

Nor is it enough, that we have known the divine 
gift, and in it have preached to the spirits in prison, 
and been the instruments of the convincing of 
others of the way of God, if we keep not as low and 
poor in ourselves, and as depending upon the Lord, 
as ever: since no memory, no repetitions of former 
openings, revelations or enjoyments, will bring a 
soul to God, or afford bread to the hungry, or water 
to the thirsty, unless life go with what we say; and 
that must be waited for. 



THE SOCIETY OP FRIENDS. 85 

Oh! that we may have no other fountain, trea- 
sure or dependence! That none may presume at 
any rate to act of themselves for God, because they 
have long acted from God; that we may not supply 
want of waiting with our own wisdom, or think that 
we may take less care and more liberty in speaking 
than formerly; and that where we do not feel the 
Lord, by his power, to open us and enlarge us, 
whatever be the expectation of the people, or has 
been our customary supply and character, we may 
not exceed or fill up the time with our own. 

I hope we shall ever remember, who it was that 
said, " Of yourselves ye can do nothing/^ Our suf- 
ficiency is in him. And if we are not to speak our 
own words, or take thought what we should say to 
men in our defence when exposed for our testimony, 
surely we ought to speak none of our own words, 
or take thought what we shall say in our testimony 
and ministry, in the name of our Lord, to the souls 
of the people; for then, of all times, and of all other 
occasions, should it be fulfilled in us; '^ for it is not 
you that speak, but the Spirit of my Father that 
speaketh in you.^^ 

And, indeed, the ministry of the Spirit must and 
does keep its analogy and agreement with the birth 
of the Spirit; that as no man can inherit the king- 
dom of God, unless he be born of the Spirit, so no 
ministry can beget a soul to God, but that which is 
8 



86 . RISE AND PROGRESS OP 

from the Spirit. For this^ as I said before, the dis- 
ciples waited before tbej went forth; and in this, 
our elder brethren, and messengers of God in our 
day, waited, visited, and reached us. And having 
begun in the Spirit, let none ever hope or seek to 
be mada perfect in the flesh. For what is the flesh 
to the Spirit, or the chaff to the wheat? And if 
we keep in the Spirit, we shall keep in the unity of 
it, which is the ground of the fellowship. For by 
drinking into that one Spirit, we are made one peo- 
ple to God, and by it we are continued in the unity 
of the faith, and the bond of peace. No envying, 
no bitterness, no strife, can have place with us. 
We shall watch always for good, and not for evil, 
one over anoth^, and rejoice exceedingly, and not 
begrudge at one another's increase in the riches of 
the grace with which God replenisheth his faithful 
servants. 

And brethren, as to you is committed the dis- 
pensation of the oracles of God, which gives you 
frequent opportunities, and great place with the peo- 
ple among whom you travel, I beseech you that you 
would not think it sufficient to declare the Word 
of life in their assemblies, however edifying and 
comfortable such opportunities may be to you and 
them: but, as was the practice of the man of God 
before mentioned, in great measure, when among 
US; to inquire the state of the several churches you 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 87 

visit; wlio among them are afflicted or sick, who 
are tempted, and if any are unfaithful or obstinate; 
and endeavour to issue those things in the wisdom 
and power of God, which will be a glorious crown 
upon your ministry. As that prepares your way in 
the hearts of the people, to receive you as men of 
God, so it gives you credit with them to do them 
good by your advice in other respects; the afflicted 
will be comforted by you, the tempted strengthened, 
the sick refreshed, the unfaithful convicted and re- 
stored, and such as are obstinate, softened and fitted 
for reconciliation; which is clinching the nail, and 
applying and fastening the general testimony, by 
this particular care of the several branches of it, in 
reference to them more immediately concerned in it. 
For though good and wise men, and elders too, 
may reside in such places, who are of worth and 
importance in the general, and in other places-; yet 
it does not always follow, that they may have the 
room they deserve in the hearts of the people they 
live among; or some particular occasion may make 
it unfit for him or them to use that authority. But 
you that travel as God's Messengers, if they receive 
you in the greater, shall they refuse you in the less? 
And if they own the general testimony, can they 
withstand the particular application of it, in their 
own cases? Thus ye will show yourselves workmen 
indeed, and carry your business before you, to the 



88 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

praise of His name, that hath called you from dark- 
ness to light, that you might turn others from Sa- 
tan's power unto God and his kingdom, which is 
within. And Oh! that there were more of such 
faithful labourers in the vineyard of the Lord! 
Never more need since the day of God. 

Wherefore I cannot but cry and call aloud to you, 
that have been long professors of the truth, and 
know the truth in the convincing power of it, and 
have had a sober conversation among men, yet con- 
tent yourselves only to know truth for yourselves, 
to go to meetings, and exercise an ordinary charity 
in the church, and an honest behaviour in the 
world, and limit yourselves within these bounds; 
feeling little or no concern upon your spirits for the 
glory of the Lord in the prosperity of his truth in 
the earth, more than to be glad that others succeed 
in such service. Arise ye in the name and power 
of the Lord Jesus! Behold how white the fields 
are unto harvest, in this and other nations, and 
how few able and faithful labourers there are to 
work therein! Your country-folks, neighbours and 
kindred want to know the Lord and his truth, and 
to walk in it. Does nothing lie at your door upon 
their account? Search and see, and lose no time^ 
I beseech you; for the Lord is at hand. 

I do not judge you, there is one which judgeth all 
men, and his judgment is true. You have mightily 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 89 

increased in your outward substance. May you 
equally increase in your inward riches^ and do good 
with both, while you have a day to do good. Your 
enemies would once have taken what you had from 
you for his name's sake, in whom you have believed; 
wherefore he has given you much of the world, in 
the face of your enemies. But Oh! let it be your 
servant, and not your master! Your diversion 
rather than your business ! Let the Lord be chiefly 
in your eye; and ponder your ways, and see if God 
has nothing more for you to do: and if you find 
yourselves short in your account with him, then wait 
for his preparation, and be ready to receive the 
word of command, and be not weary of well-doing, 
when you have put your hand to the plough; and 
assuredly you shall reap, if you faint not, the fruit 
of your heavenly labour in God's everlasting king- 
dom. 

And you, young convinced ones, be you entreated 
and exhorted to a diligent and chaste waiting upon 
God, in the way of his blessed manifestation and 
appearance of himself to you. Look not out, but 
within : let not another's liberty be your snare : nei- 
ther act by imitation, but sense and feeling of 
God's power in yourselves: crush not the tender 
buddings of it in your souls, nor over-run, in your 
desires and warmness of affections, the holy and 
gentle motions of it. Remember it is a still voice 
8* 



90 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

that speaks to us in tliis day, and tliat it is not to 
be heard in the noises and hurries of the mind; but 
it is distinctly understood in a retired frame. Jesus 
loved and chose solitudes; often going to mountains, 
gardens, and sea-sides, to avoid crowds and hurries, 
to show his disciples it was good to be solitary, and 
sit loose to the world. Two enemies lie near your 
states, imagination and liberty; but the plain, prac- 
tical, living, holy truth, that has convinced you, 
will preserve you, if you mind it in yourselves, and 
bring all thoughts, inclinations and affections to the 
test of it, to see if they are wrought in God, or of 
the enemy, or your ownselves. So will a true taste, 
discerning and judgment be preserved to you, of 
what you should do and leave undone. And in 
your diligence and faithfulness in this way you will 
come to inherit substance; and Christ, the eternal 
wisdom, will fill your treasury. And when you 
are converted, as well as convinced, then confirm 
your brethren; and be ready to every good word 
and work, that the Lord shall call you to; that you 
may be to his praise, who has chosen you to be par- 
takers, with the saints in light, of a kingdom that 
cannot be shaken, an inheritance incorruptible in 
eternal habitations. 

And now, as for you, that are the children of 
God's people, a great concern is upon my spirit for 
your good: and often are my knees bowed to the 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 91 

God of jour fathers, for you, that you may come to 
be partakers of the same divine life and power, that 
have been the glory of this day; that a generation 
you may be to God, a holy nation, and a peculiar 
people, zealous of good works, when all our heads 
are laid in the dust. you young men and women ! 
let it not suffice you, that you are the children of 
the people of the Lord; you must also be born again, 
if you will inherit the kingdom of God. Your fa- 
thers are but such after the flesh, and could but be- 
get you into the likeness of the first Adam; but you 
must be begotten into the likeness of the second 
Adam, by a spiritual generation, or you will not, 
you cannot be of his children or offspring. And 
therefore look carefully about you, ye children of 
the children of God! Consider your standing, and 
see what you are in relation to this divine kindred, 
family and birth. Have you obeyed the light, and 
received and walked in the Spirit, which is the in- 
corruptible seed of the Word and kingdom of God, 
of which you must be born again? God is no re- 
specter of persons. The father cannot save nor an- 
swer for the child, or the child for the father; but 
in the sin thou sinnest thou shalt die; and in the 
righteousness thou dost, through Christ Jesus, thou 
shalt live; for it is the willing and obedient that 
shall eat the good of the land. Be not deceived, 
God is not mocked; such as all nations and people 



92 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

SOW; sucli the J shall reap at the hand of the just 
God. And then your many and great privileges 
above the children of other people, will add weight 
in the scale against you, if you choose not the way of 
the Lord. For you have had line upon line, and pre- 
cept upon precept, and not only good doctrine, but 
good example; and which is more, you have been 
turned to, and acquainted with, a principle in your- 
selves, which others have been ignorant of. And 
you know you may be as good as you please, without 
the fear of frowns and blows, or being turned out 
of doors and forsaken of father and mother for 
God's sake and his holy religion, as has been the 
case of some of your fathers, in the day they first 
entered into this holy path. And if you, after hear- 
ing and seeing the wonders that God has wrought 
in the deliverance and preservation of them, through 
a sea of troubles, and the manifold temporal, as well 
as spiritual blessings that he has filled them with, 
in the sight of their enemies, should neglect and 
turn your backs upon so great and near a salvation, 
you would not only be most ungrateful children to 
God and them, but must expect that God will call 
the children of those that knew him not, to take 
the crown out of your hands, and that your lot will 
be a dreadful judgment at the hand of the Lord. 
But Oh! that it may never be so with any of you. 
The Lord forbid, saith my soul. 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 93 

Wherefore, ye young men and women! look to 
the rock of your fathers. There is no other God 
but him, no other light but his, no other grace but 
his, nor Spirit but his, to convince you, quicken 
and comfort you; to lead, guide and preserve you 
to God's everlasting kingdom. So will you be pos- 
sessors as well as professors of the truth, embracing 
it, not only by education, but judgment and convic- 
tion; from a sense begotten in your souls, through 
the operation of the eternal Spirit and power of 
God; by which you may come to be the seed of 
Abraham, through faith, and the circumcision not 
made with hands; and so heirs of the promise made 
to the fathers, of an incorruptible crown : that, as I 
said before, a generation you may be to God, holding 
up the profession of the blessed truth in the life and 
power of it. For formality in religion is nauseous 
to God and good men; and the more so, where any 
form or appearance has been new and peculiar, and 
begun and practised upon a principle, with an un- 
common zeal and strictness. Therefore I say, for 
you to fall flat and formal, and continue the profes- 
sion, without that salt and savor by which it is 
come to obtain a good report among men, is not to 
answer God's love, or your parents' care, or the 
mind of truth in yourselves, or in those that are 
without: who, though they will not obey the truth, 
have sight and sense enough to see if they do that 



94 RISE AND PROGRESS OP 

make a profession of it. For where the divine vir- 
tue of it is not felt in the soul, and waited for and 
lived in, imperfections will quickly break out, and 
show themselves, and detect the unfaithfulness of 
such persons, and that their insides are not seasoned 
with the nature of that holy principle which they 
profess. 

Wherefore, dear children, let me entreat you to 
shut your eyes at the temptations and allurements 
of this low and perishing world, and mot suffer your 
affections to be captivated by those lusts and vani- 
ties, that your fathers, for the truth^s sake, long 
since turned their backs upon; but as you believe 
it to be the truth, receive it into your hearts, that 
you may become the children of God; so that it 
may never be said of you, as the Evangelist writes 
of the Jews in his time, that Christ, the true Light, 
^^came to his own, and his own received him not: 
but to as many as received him, to them gave he 
power to become the children of God; which were 
born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor 
of the will of man, but of God; '' a most close and 
comprehensive passage to this occasion. You ex- 
actly and peculiarly answer to those professing Jews 
in that you bear the name of God^s people, by be- 
ing the children, and wearing of the form of God's 
people. And He, by his light in you, may be very 
well said to come to his own, and if you obey it 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 95 

not, but turn your backs upon it, and walk after 
the vanities of your minds, you will be of those 
tbat ^^ received him not;^' which I pray God may 
never be your case and judgment; but that you may 
be thoroughly sensible of the many and great obli- 
gations you lie under to the Lord for his love, and 
to your parents for their care: and with all your 
heart, and all your soul, and all your strength, turn 
to the Lord, to his gift and Spirit in you, and hear 
his voice and obey it, that you may seal to the testi- 
mony of your fathers, by the truth and evidence 
of your own experience; that your children's chil- 
dren may bless you, and the Lord for you, as those 
that delivered a faithful example, as well as record 
of the truth of God unto them. So will the gray 
hairs of your dear parents, yet alive, go down to 
the grave with joy, to see you the posterity of truth, 
as well as theirs, and that not only their nature, 
but spirit shall live in you when they are gone. 

I shall conclude this account with a few words 
to those that are not of our communion, into whose 
hands this may come; especially those of our own 
nation. 

Friends, as you are the sons and daughters of 
Adam, and my brethren after the flesh, often and 
earnest have been my desires and prayers to G^ 
on your behalf, that you may come to know your 



96 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

Creator to be your Redeemer and Restorer to the 
holy imagej that through sin you have lost; by the 
power and Spiiit of his Son Jesus Christ, whom he 
hath given for the light and life of the world. And 
Oh! that you, who are called Christians, would re- 
ceive him into your hearts! For there it is you 
want him, and at that door he stands knocking 
that you might let him in, but you do not open to 
him. You are full of other guests, so that a man- 
ger is his lot among you now, a^ well as of old. 
Yet you are full of profession, as were the Jews 
when he came among them, who knew him not, but 
rejected and evilly entreated him. So that if you 
come not to the possession and experience of what 
you profess, all your formality in religion will stand 
you in no stead in the day of God's judgment. 

I beseech you, ponder with yourselves your eter- 
nal condition, and see what title, what ground and 
foundation you have for your Christianity; if more 
than a profession, and an historical belief of the 
Gospel. Have you known the baptism of fire, and 
the Holy Ghost, and the fan of Christ that winnows 
away the chaff in your minds, and carnal lusts and 
affections? — that divine leaven of the kingdom, 
that, being received, leavens the whole lump of 
man, sanctifying him throughout in body, soul, and 
spirit? If this be not the ground of your confi- 
dence, you are in a miserable estate. 



THE SOCIETY OE ERIENDS. 97 

You will saj, perhaps, " That though you are sin- 
ners, and live in daily commission of sin, and are 
not sanctified/^ as I have been speaking, ^^yet you 
have faith in Christ, who has borne the curse for 
you, and in him you are complete by faith, his righ- 
teousness being imputed to you/' 

But, my Friends, let me entreat you not to de- 
ceive yourselves in so important a point as is that 
of your immortal souls. If you have true faith in 
Christ, your faith will make you clean: it will 
sanctify you; for the saints' faith was their victory 
of old. By this they overcame sin within, and sin- 
ful men without. And if thou art in Christ, thou 
walkest not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, 
whose fruits are manifest. Yea, thou art a new 
creature; new made, new fashioned, after God's 
will and mould. Old things are done away, and 
behold, all things are become new; new love, de- 
sires, will, affections, and practices. It is not any 
longer thou that livest, thou disobedient, carnal, 
worldly one; but it is Christ that liveth in thee; 
and to live is Christ, and to die is thy eternal gain; 
because thou art assured that thy corruptible shall 
put on incorruption, and thy mortal, immortality, 
and that thou hast a glorious house, eternal in the 
heavens, that will never wax old or pass away. 
All this follows being in Christ, as heat follows fire, 
and light the sun. 
9 



98 RISE AND PROGRESS OP 

Therefore have a care how you presume to rely 
upon such a notion, as that you are in Christ, whilst ^ 
in your old fallen nature. For what communion 
hath light with darkness, or Christ with Belial? 
Hear what the beloved disciple tells you: '^Ifwe 
say we have fellowship with God, and walk in dark- 
ness, we lie, and do not the truth/' That is, if we 
go on in a sinful way, are captivated by our carnal 
affections, and are not converted to God, we walk 
in darkness, and cannot possibly, in that state^ have 
any fellowship with God. Christ clothes them with 
his righteousness, that receive his grace in their 
hearts, and deny themselves, and take up his cross 
daily, and follow him. Christ's righteousness makes 
men inwardly holy; of holy minds, wills, and prac- 
tices. It is not the less Christ's, because we have 
it; for it is ours, not by nature, but by faith and 
adoption. It is the gift of God. But still, though 
not ours, as of or from ourselves, (for in that sense 
it is Christ's, for it is of and from him,) yet it is 
ours, and must be ours in possession, efficacy and 
enjoyment, to do us any good; or Christ's righteous- 
ness will profit us nothing. It was after this man- 
ner that he was made, to the primitive Christians, 
righteousness, sanctification, justification and re- 
demption; and if ever you will have the comfort, 
kernel and marrow of the Christian religion, thus 
you must come to learn and obtain it. 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 99 

Now, my friends, by wliat you have read, you 
may perceive that God has visited a poor people 
among you with this saving knowledge and testi- 
mony: whom he has upheld and increased to this 
day, notwithstanding the fierce opposition they have 
met withal. Despise not the meanness of this ap- 
pearance. It was, and yet is (we know) a day of 
small things, and of small account with too many; 
and many hard and ill names are given to it. But 
it is of God, it came from him because it leads to 
him. This we know, but we cannot make another 
to know it, unless he will take the same way to know 
it that we took. The World talks of God, but 
what do they do? They pray for power, but reject 
the principle in which it is. If you would know God, 
and worship and serve God as you should do, you 
must come to the means he has ordained and given 
for that purpose. Some seek it in books, some in 
learned men; but what they look for is in them- 
selves, though not of themselves; but they overlook 
it. The voice is too still, the seed too small, and 
the light shineth in darkness. They are abroad, 
and so cannot divide the spoil. But the woman 
that lost her silver, found it at home, after she had 
lighted her candle and swept her house. Do you 
so too, and you shall find what Pilate wanted to 
know, viz. Truth: truth in the inward parts, so va- 
luable in the sight of God. 



100 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

The light of Christ within, who is the light of 
the world, (and so a light to jou, that tells you the 
truth of your condition,) leads all, that take heed 
unto it, out of darkness into God's marvellous light. 
For light grows upon the obedient; it is ^^sown for 
the righteous,'' and their way is a shining light, 
that shines forth more and more to the perfect 
day. 

Wherefore, friends, turn in, turn in, I besee<3h 
you. Where is the poison, there is the antidote: 
there you want Christ, and there you must find him; 
and blessed be God, there you may find him. Seek 
and you shall find, I testify for God. But then you 
must seek aright, with your whole heart, as men 
that seek for their lives, yea, for their eternal lives, 
diligently, humbly, patiently, as those that can taste 
no pleasure, comfort or satisfaction, in any thing 
else, unless you find him whom your souls desire 
to know and love above all. Oh! it is a travail, 
a spiritual travail, let the carnal, profane world, 
think and say as it will. And through this path 
you must walk to the city of God, that has eternal 
foundations, if ever you will come there. 

Well I and what does this blessed light do for you? 
Why, first, it sets all your sins in order before you: 
it detects the spirit of this world in all its baits and 
allurements, and shows how man came* to fall from 
God, and the fallen estate he is in. Secondly, it 



THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. 101 

begets a sense and sorrow, in such as believe in ii, 
for this fearful lapse. You will then see Him dis- 
tinctly whom jou have pierced, and all the blows 
and wounds you have given him by your disobedi- 
ence, and how you have made him to serve with 
your sins; and you will weep and mourn for it, and 
your sorrow will be a godly sorrow. Thirdly, after 
this it will bring you to the holy watch, to take care 
that you do so no more, and that the enemy sur- 
prise you not again. Then thoughts, as well as 
words, and works, will come to judgment; which is 
the way of holiness, in which the redeemed of the 
Lord do walk. Here you will come to love God 
above all, and your neighbours as yourselves. No- 
thing hurts, nothing harms, nothing makes afraid 
on this holy mountain. Now you come to be Christ's 
indeed; for you are his in nature and spirit, and 
not your own. And when you are thus Christ's, 
then Christ's is yours, and not before. And here 
communion with the Father, and with the Son you 
will know, and the efficacy of the blood of cleansing, 
even the blood of Jesus Christ, that immaculate 
Lamb, which speaks better things than the blood 
of Abel; and which cleanseth from all sin the con- 
sciences of those that through the living faith, come 
to be sprinkled with it, from dead works, to serve 
the living God. 

To conclude, behold the testimony and doctrine 
9* 



102 RISE AND PROGRESS OF 

of the people called Quakers ! Betiold their prac- 
tice and discipline! And behold the blessed man 
and men (at least many of them,) that were sent 
of God in this excellent work and service! All 
which is more particularly expressed in the Annals 
of that man of Grod; which I do heartily recommend 
to my reader's most serious perusal; and beseech 
x\lmighty God^ that his blessing may go along with 
both to the convincement of man}^, as yet strangers 
to this holy dispensation; and also to the edifica- 
tion of God's church in general: who for his mani- 
fold and repeated mercies and blessings to his peo- 
ple in this day of his great love, is worthy ever to 
have the glory, honour, thanksgiving, and renown; 
and be it rendered and ascribed with fear and reve- 
rence, through him in whom he is well pleased, his 
beloved Son and Lamb, our light and life, that sits 
with him upon the throne, world without end. Amen. 
Says one that God has long since mercifully 
favoured with his fatherly visitation, and who 
was not disobedient to the heavenly vision and 
call; to whom the way of truth is more lovely 
and precious than ever, and who, knowing the 
beauty and benefit of it above all worldly 
treasures, has chosen it for his chiefest joy; 
and therefore recommends it to thy love and 
choice, because he is with great sincerity and 
affection, Thy Soul's Friend, 

William Penn. 



THE 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEI: 

OE, 
fHOSE SO GENERALLY BELIEVED AND APPLAUDED 

DOCTRINES, 



ONE GOD, SUBSISTING IN THREE DISTINCT 
AND SEPARATE PERSONS, 

THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF GOD'S PARDONING- SINNERS, 
WITHOUT A PLENARY SATISFACTION, 

THE JUSTrPICATION OF IMPURE PEPuSONS, BY AN 
IMPUTATIVE RIGHTEOUSNESS, 

REFUTED, 

FEOM THE AUTHORITY OF SCEIPTUEE TESTIMONIES AND RIGHT REASON. 



BY WILLIAM PENN, 
A bxiilder on that foundation which cannot be moved. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
T. ELLWOOD CHAPMAN, 

NO. 1 SOUTH FIFTH STREET. 

1855. 



PREFACE. 



Although this treatise has been frequently pub- 
lished^ it has been deemed advisable to present it in 
connexion with the " Rise and Progress of the People 
called Quakers/^ for the information of members of 
our Society, as well as others who may desire infor- 
mation on the important subject of which it treats. 

The following is extracted from the Preface of 
the first edition, which was published in 1688. 

To the Unprejudiced Reader, 
It was the fault of some in ancient times, that 
they made void God's law by men's traditions, and 
certainly I may now assume the same complaint ; 
for whilst I take a serious prospect of the spiritual 
nature and tendency of the second covenant which 
God Almighty, in the fulness of time, by his Pro- 
phets, prophesied to make and perfect; and also the 
accomplishment thereof by Jesus Christ, and what 
was brought to pass amongst these primitive be- 
lievers, I do not only see an utter abolishment of 

105 



IV PREFACE. 

ceremonial worship but the inscribing that spiritual 
law on the hearty and infusion of holj fear to the 
inward parts^ whereby each person became capaci- 
tated to know so much of Grod, as suited with his 
present state, from an infallible demonstration, in 
himself, and not on the slender ground of men's lo- 
here — interpretations, or lo-there ; for the kingdom 
of Grod is within, where himself must be the teacher 
of his people ; but on the other hand, when from 
the noise of every party^s pretensions to, and con- 
tentions for their own way, as most infallible, I 
am induced to an impartial examination of them. 
Alas ! how have all adulterated from the purity both 
of Scripture record and primitive example; receiving 
for unquestionable doctrines, the fallible apprehen- 
D/sions, and uncertain dtterminationsof such councils, 
whose factions, prejudice, and cruelty, soon paralleled 
the foregoing heathenish persecutions; and yet that 
the results of persons so incompetently qualified, 
should at this day in their authority remain unques- 
tioned by the Nations, is matter both of astonishment 
and pity; but an implicit faith has ever been the con- 
sequence of ignorance, idleness and fear, being strong 
impediments to a judicious inquiry, how far professed 
and imposed opinions have their consistency with 
reason, and the true religion. But that which most 
of all deserves a lamentation, is that Protestants, 
whose better arguments have confuted the plea of 
106 



PREFACE. V 

such as made Tradition and men's prescriptions un- 
questionable in circumstantials, should themselves 
by print and practice so openly declare and contend 
for its authority in essentials ; as must be obvious to 
any that observe their zealous Anathemas against 
whomsoever refused a compliance with them in doc- 
trines, manifestly bottomed upon men's nice inven- 
tions. 

This is the right state of the controversy that is 
maintained by us against the world, and the un- 
doubted reason of our severe treatment at its hands, 
the end of God Almighty's raising us, being for no 
other purpose than to declare that which our eyes 
have seen, our ears heard, and ichich our hands 
have handled of the Eternal Word, in opposition to 
the private opinions, conjectures, and interpretations 
of men concerning God and religion, that all people 
might thereby be reduced to faith in, and obedience 
to the universal grace which hrings salvation; which 
as it only can restore sound judgment, concerning 
'God, and effect redemption from iniquity, so its being 
relinquished by men, was the very ground both of 
their division in judgment, and corruption in man- 
ners. 

And what remains, is to inform thee, reader, that 
with great brevity I have discussed and endeavoured 
a total enervation of those cardinal pointS; and chief 

107 



VI PREFACE. 

doctrines, so firmly believed and continually imposed 
for articles of Christian faith : 

1. The Trinity of separate persons^ in the unity 
of Essence. 

2. Grod^s incapacity to forgive without the fullest 
satisfaction paid him by another. 

3. A justification of impure persons, from an im- 
putative righteousness, which principles, let me tell 
thee, reader, are not more repugnant to Scriptures, 
reason, and soul-security, than most destructive to 
God's honour, in his unity, mercy and purity. 

Therefore I beseech thee to exterminate passion 
from her predominancy, in the perusal of this 
abridged discourse, since it was written in love to 
thee, that whilst it is thy desire to know, love and fear 
God Almighty above men^s precepts, thou mayest not 
miss so good an end, by the blind embraces of Tra- 
dition for truth, but in the nobility of a true Berean, 
search and inquire; letting the good old verity, not 
a pretended Antiquity, (whilst a mere novelty;) and 
solid reason, nor an ever-fond credulity, sway the 
balance of thy judgment, that both stability and cer- 
tainty may accompany thy determinations. 

W. P. 



108 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 



THE TRINITY OF DISTINCT AND SEPARATE PERSONS, 
IN THE UNITY OE ESSENCE, REFUTED FROM SCRIP- 
TURE. 

And lie said, ^^Lord God, there is no God like 
unto tliee/^ (1 Kings viii. 24.) — "To wliom then 
will ye liken me, or shall I be equal, saith the Holy 
One ?'' (Tsa. xl. 25.) " I am the Lord, and there is 
none else, there is no God besides me/^ (Isa. xly. 5, 6.) 
^f Thus saith the Lord thy Kedeemer, the Holy One of 
Israel/^ (Isa. xl viii. 17.) " I will also praise thee, 
my God; unto thee will I sing, Holy One of 
Israel/' (Psalm Ixxi. 22.) "Jehovah shall be One, 
and his name One.'' (Zac. xiv. 9.) Which, with 
a cloud of other testimonies that might be urged, 
evidently demonstrate, that in the days of the first 
covenant, and Prophets, but One was the Holy 
God, and God but that Holy One. — Again: "And 
Jesus said unto him. Why callest thou me good? 
There is none good but One, that is, God." (Mat- 
thew xix. 17.) "And this is life eternal, that 
10 109 



8 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

they might know thee (Father) the only true God/' 
(John xvii. 3.) ^^ Seeing it is one God that shall 
justify/' (Rom. iii. 30.) ^^ There be gods many — 
but unto us there is but one God, the Father, of 
whom are all things/' (1 Cor. viii. 6.) ^^One God 
and Father who is above all things.'' (Eph. iv. §.) 
^' For there is one God/' (1 Tim. ii. 5.) '' To the 
only wise God be glory now and ever." (Jude ver. 
25.) From all which I shall lay down this one as- 
sertion, that the testimonies of Scripture, both 
under the law, and since the Gospel dispensation, 
declare One to be God, and God to be One, on 
which I shall raise this argument: 

If God, as the Scriptures testify, hath never been 
declared or believed, but as the Holy One, then will 
it follow, that God is not a Holy Three, nor doth 
subsist in three distinct and separate Holy Ones. 
But the before-cited Scriptures undeniably prove 
that One is God, and God only is that Holy One. 
Therefore he cannot be divided into, or subsist in 
a Holy Three, or Three distinct and separate Holy 
Ones — Neither can this receive the least prejudice 
from that frequent, but impertinent distinction, that 
he is one in substance, but three in persons or subsist- 
ences; since God was not declared or believed in- 
completely, or without his subsistence: nor did he re- 
quire homage from his creatures, as an incomplete 
OT abstracted being, but as G<k1 the Holy One: For 
110 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 9 

SO he should be manifested and worshipped without 
that which was absolutely necessary to himself. So 
that either the testimonies of the afore-mentioned 
Scriptures are to be believed concerning God, that 
he is entirely and completely, not abstractly and 
distinctly, the Holy One, or else their authority to 
be denied by these Trinitarians. And on the con- 
trary, if they pretend to credit those holy testimo- 
nies, they must necessarily conclude their kind of 
trinity a fiction. 

Refuted from Right Reason. 

1. If there be three distinct and separate per-, 
sons, then three distinct and separate substances, 
because every person is inseparable from its own 
substance. And as there is no person that is not 
a substance, in common acceptation among men, so 
do the Scriptures plentifully agree herein: And 
since the Father is God, the Son is God, and the 
Spirit is God, (which their opinion necessitates 
them to confess,) then unless the Father, Son, and 
Spirit are three distinct nothings, they must be 
three distinct substances, and consequently, three 
distinct Gods. 

2. It is farther proved, if it be considered, that 
either the divine persons are finite or infinite. If 
the first, then something finite is inseparable to the 
infinite substance, whereby something finite is in 

111 



10 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

God: if the last, then three distinct Infinities^ three 
Omnipotents, three Eternals, and so three Gods. 

3. If each person be God, and that God subsists 
in three persons, then in each person are three per- 
sons or Gods, and from three they will increase to 
nine, and so ad infinitum. 

4. But if they shall deny the three persons or 
subsistences to be infinite, (for so there would un- 
avoidably be three Gods,) it will follow that they 
must be finite, and so the absurdity is not abated 
from what it was; for that of one substance having 
three subsistences, is not greater, than that an infi- 
nite being should have three finite modes of sub- 
sisting. But though that mode which is finite can- 
not answer to a substance that is infinite; yet to 
try if we can make their principle to consist, let us 
conceive that three persons, which may be finite 
separately, make up an infinite conjunctly: how- 
ever this will follow, that they are no more incom- 
municable or separate, nor properly subsistences, 
but a subsistence; for the infinite substance cannot 
find a bottom or subsistence in any one or two, 
therefore jointly. And here I am also willing to 
overlook finiteness in the Father, Son, and Spirit, 
which this doctrine must suppose. 

5. Again, if these three distinct persons are one, 
with some one thing, as they say they are with the 
Godhead, then are not they incommunicable among 

112 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 11 

themselves; but so much the contrary, as to be one 
in the place of another. For if that the only God 
is the Father, and Christ be that only God, then is 
Christ the Father. So if that one God be the Son, 
and the Spirit that one God, then is the Spirit the 
Son, and so round. Nor is it possible to stop, or 
that it should be otherwise, since if the divine na- 
ture be inseparable from the three persoils, or com- 
municated to each, and each person have the wkole 
divine nature, then is the Son in the Father, and 
the Spirit in the Son; unless that the Godhead be 
as incommunicable to the persons, as they are re- 
ported to be amongst themselves: or that the three 
persons have distinctly allotted them such a propor- 
tion of the divine nature, as is not communicable 
to each other; which is alike absurd. Much more 
might be said to manifest the gross contradiction of 
this trinitarian doctrine, as vulgarly received; but 
I must be brief. 

Information and Caution, 
Before I shall conclude this head, it is requisite 
I should inform thee, reader, concerning its ori- 
ginal. Thou mayst assure thyself, it is not from 
the Scriptures, nor reason, since so expressly re- 
pugnant; although all broachers of their own inven- 
tions strongly endeavour to reconcile them with 
that holy record. Know then, my friend, it was 
10* 113 



12 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

born above three hundred years after the ancient 
gospel was declared; and that through the nice dis- 
tinctions and too daring curiosity of the bishop of 
Alexandria, who being opposed by Arius, their zeal 
go reciprocally blew the fire of contention, animosity, 
and persecution, till at last they sacrificed each other 
to their mutual revenge. 

Thus it was conceived in ignorance, and brought 
forth and maintained by cruelty. For though he 
that was strongest imposed his opinion, persecuting 
the contrary, yet the scale turning on the Trinita- 
rian side, it has there continued through all the 
Romish generations. And notwithstanding it hath 
obtained the name of Athanasian from Athanasius, 
(a stiff man, witness his carriage toivards Constan- 
tino the emperor,) because supposed to have been 
most concerned in the framing that creed in which 
this doctrine is asserted; ye^ have I never seen one 
copy void of a suspicion, Bftther to have been the 
results of popish school-men; which I could render 
more perspicuous, did not brevity necessitate me to 
an omission. 

Be therefore cautioned, reader, not to embrace 
the determination of prejudiced councils, for evan- 
gelical doctrine; which the scriptures bear no cer- 
tain testimony to; neither was believed by the pri- 
mitive saints, nor thus stated by any I have read of, 
in the first, second, or third centuries: particularly 
114 



JSANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 13 

Ireneus, Justin IMartyr, Tertullian^ Origen, Theoplii- 
luS; with many others who appear wholly foreign to 
the matter in controversy. But seeing that private 
spirits, and those none of the most ingenuous, have 
been the parents and guardians of this so generally 
received doctrine; let the time past suffice, and be 
admonished to apply thy mind unto that light and 
grace which brings salvation; that by obedience 
thereunto, those mists tradition hath cast before thy 
eyes, may be expelled, and thou receive a certain 
knowledge of that God, whom' to know is life 
eternal, not to be divided, but one pure, entire, 
and eternal being; who in the fulness of time sent 
forth his Son, as the true light which enlighten eth 
every man; that whosoever followed him, (the 
Light,) might be translated from the dark notions, 
and vain conversations of men, to this holy Light, 
in which only sound judgment and eternal life are 
obtainable: who so many hundred years since, in 
person testified the virtue of it, and has communi- 
cated unto all such a proportion, as may enable 
them to follow his example. 

115 



14 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 



THE VULGAR DOCTRINE OF SATISFACTION, BEING 
DEPENDENT ON THE SECOND PERSON OF THE 
TRINITY, REFUTED FROM SCRIPTURE. 

Doctrine. '' That man having transgressed the 
righteous law of God, and so exposed to the penalty 
of eternal wrath, it is altogether impossible for God 
to remit or forgive without a plenary satisfaction; 
and that there was no other way by which God 
could obtain satisfaction, or save men, than by in- 
flicting the penalty of infinite wrath and vengeance 
on Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, 
who for sins past, present, and to come, hath wholly 
borne and paid it, (whether for all, or but some,) 
to the offended infinite justice of his Father/^ 

Refutation. 1. ^^And the Lord passed by 
before him, (Moses,) and proclaimed. The Lord, 
the Lord God, merciful and gracious, keeping mercy 
for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and 
sin.'' (Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7.) From whence I shall 
draw this position, that since God has proclaimed 
himself a gracious, merciful, and forgiving God, it 
is not inconsistent with his nature to remit, without 
any other consideration than his own love. Other- 
wise he could not justly come under the imputation 
of so many gracious attributes, with whom it is im- 
possible to pardon, and necessary to exact the pay- 
ment of the utmost farthing. 
116 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. l5 

2. " For if ye turn again to the Lord^ tlie Lord 
your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn 
away his face from you/^ (2 Chron. xxx. 9.) 
Where, how natural is it to observe that God's re- 
mission is grounded on their repentance; and not 
that it is impossible for God to pardon, without ple- 
nary satisfaction, since the possibility, nay certainty 
of the contrary, viz. his grace and mercy, is the 
great motive or reason, of that loving invitation to 
return. 

3. ^^ They hardened their necks, and hearkened 
not to thy commandments; but thou art a God ready 
to pardon, gracious and merciful.^^ (Neh. ix. 16, 
17.) Can the honest-hearted reader conceive, that 
God should be thus mercifully qualified, whilst ex- . 
ecuting the rigour of the law transgressed, or not 
acquitting without the debt be paid him by another? 
I suppose not. 

4. ^^Let the wicked forsake his way, and the 
unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return 
unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, 
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.'' 
(Isa. Iv. 7.) Come, let the unprejudiced judge, if 
this scripture doctrine is not very remote from say- 
ing his nature cannot forgive sin, therefore let Christ 
pay him full satisfaction, or he will certainly be 
avenged; which is the substance of that strange 
opinion. 

117 



18 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

5. ^^ Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that 
I will make a new covenant with the house of Is- 
rael; I will put my law in their inward parts; I 
will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember 
their sin nomore/^ (Jer. xxxi. 32, 33, 34.) Here 
is God's mere grace asserted, against the pretended 
necessity of a satisfaction to procure his remission. 
And this Paul acknowledgeth to be the dispensation 
of the gospel, in his eighth chapter to the Hebrews. 
So that this new doctrine, doth not only contradict 
the nature and design of the second covenant, but 
seems, in short, to discharge God, both from his 
mercy and omnipotence. 

6. ^^ Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth 
iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the 
remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his 
anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.'' 
(Micah vii. 18.) Can there be a more express pas- 
sage to clear, not only the possibility, but real in- 
clination of God to pardon sin, and not "retain his 
anger for ever;'' since the prophet seems to chal- 
lenge all other gods, to try their excellency by his 
God; herein describing the supremacy of his power, 
and super-excellency of his nature, "that he par- 
doneth iniquity, and retaineth not his anger for 
ever." So that if the satisfactionists should ask 
the question, who is a God like unto ours, that 
cannot pardon iniquity, nor pass by transgression, 

118 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 17 

but retainetli his anger until somebody make him 
satisfaction ? I answer, many among the barsh and 
severe rulers of the nation; but as for my God, He 
is exalted above them all, upon the throne of his 
mercy, ^^who pardoneth iniquity, and retainetli not 
his anger for ever, but will have compassion upon 
us/' 

7. ^^And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our 
debtors/' (Matt. vi. 12.) Where nothing can be 
more obvious, than that which is forgiven, is not 
paid. And if it is our duty to forgive our debtors, 
without a satisfaction received, and that God is to 
forgive us, as we forgive them, then is a satisfaction 
totally excluded. Christ farther paraphrases upon 
that part of his prayer, ver. 14 : "For if ye forgive men 
their trespasses, your h eavenly Father will also forgive 
you." Where he as well argues the equity of God's 
forgiving them, from their forgiving others, as he en- 
courages them to forgive others, from the example 
of God's mercy, in forgiving them. Which is more 
amply expressed. Chap, xviii., where the kingdom of ' 
heaven (that consists in righteousness) is represented 
by a king, who, upon his debtor's petition, had com- . 
passion, and forgave him; but the same treating 
his fellow-servant without the least forbearance, the 
king condemned his unrighteousness, and delivered 
him over to the tormentors. But how had this been 
a fault in the servant, if his king's mercy had not 

119 



18 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 



^ 



been proposed for liis example? How most unwor- 
thy, therefore, is it of God, and blasphemous, may 
I justly term it, for any to dare to assert that for- 
giveness is impossible to God which is not only pos- 
sible, but enjoined to men. 

8. ^^For God so loved the world, that he gave his 
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life/' (John 
iii. 16.) By which it appears, that God's love is 
not the effect of Christ's satisfaction, but Christ is 
the proper gift and effect of God's love. 

9. "To him give all the prophets witness, that 
through his name, whosoever believeth in him, 
shall receive remission of sins.'' (Acts x. 43.) 
So that remission came by believing his testimony, 
and obeying his precepts, and not by a pretended 
satisfaction. 

10. "If God be for us, who can be against us? 
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him 
up for us all."— (Romans viii. 31, 32.) Which 
evidently declares it to be God's act of love, other- 
wise, if he must be paid, he should be at the 
charge of his own satisfaction, for he delivered up 
the Son. 

11. "And all things are of God, who hath recon- 
ciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given 
to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that God 
was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not 

120 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 19 

imputing their trespasses unto them/' (2 Cor v, 
18, 19.) How undeniably apparent is it, that 
Grod is so far from standing off in high displeasure, 
and upon his own terms, contracting with his Son 
for satisfaction, as being otherwise incapable to be 
reconciled, that he became himself the reconciler by 
Christ, and afterwards by the apostles, his ambas- 
sadors, to whom was committed the ministry of re- 
conciliation. 

12. ^^In whom we have redemption through his 
blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches 
of his grace. ^' — (Eph. i. 7.) Now what relation 
satisfaction has to forgiveness of sins, or how any can 
construe grace, to be strict justice, the meanest un- 
derstanding may determine. 

13. *^But the God of all grace, who hath called 
us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus.'' (1 Pet. 
V. 19.) He does not say that God's justice, in con- 
sideration of Christ's satisfaction, acquitted us from 
sins past, present, and to come, and therefore hath 
called us to his eternal glory; but from his grace. 

14. '^ In this was manifest the love of God toward 
us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into 
the world, that we might live through him." (1 
John iv. 9.) Which plainly attributes Christ in his 
doctrine, life, miracles, death, and sufferings, to God, ' 
as the gift and expression of his eternal love, for the 
salvation of men. 

11 121 



20 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

1. In abolishing that other covenant, which con- 
sisted in external and shadowy ordinances, and that 
made none clean as concerning the conscience. 

2. In promulgating his message, of a most free 
and universal tender of life and salvation, unto all 
that believed and followed him, (the light) in all 
his righteousness, the very end of his appearance 
being to destroy the works of the devil, and which 
every man only comes to experience, as he walks in 
a holy subjection to that measure of light and grace, 
wherewith the fulness hath enlightened him. 

3. In seconding his doctrines with signs, miracles, 
and a most innocent self-denying life. 

4. In ratifying and confirming all, (with great 
love and holy resignation,) by the offering up of his 
body, to be crucified by wicked hands: who is now 
ascended far above all heavens, and is thereby be* 
come a most complete captain, and perfect ex- 
ample. 

So that I can by no means conclude, but openly 
declare, that the scriptures of truth, are not only 
silent in reference to this doctrine of satisfaction, 
but that it is altogether inconsistent with the dig- 
nity of God, and every way repugnant to the condi- 
tions, nature, and tendency of that second covenant, 
concerning which their testimony is so clear. 



122 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 21 

The absurdities that unavoidahly follow the com- 
parison of this doctrine with the sense of Scrip- 
ture, 

1. That God is gracious to forgive, and yet it is 
impossible for Him, unless the debt be fully satis- 
fied. 

2. That the finite and impotent creature is more 
capable of extending mercy and forgiveness, than 
the infinite and omnipotent Creator. 

3. ^^That Grod so loved the world, he gave his 
only Son to save it;'' and yet that God stood off in 
high displeasure, and Christ gave himself to God 
as a complete satisfaction to his offended justice: 
with many more such like gross consequences that 
might be drawn. 

Refuted from right reason. 
But if we should grant a scripture-silence, as to 
the necessity of Christ's so satisfying his Father's 
justice; yet so manifest would be the contradictions, 
and foul the repugnances to right reason, that he 
who had not veiled his understanding with the dark 
suggestions of unwarrantable tradition, or contracted 
his judgment to the implicit apprehensions of some 
overvalued acquaintance, might with great facility 
discriminate to a full resolve in this point. For 
admitting God to be a creditor, or he to whom the 
debt should be paid, and Christ he that satisfies or 

123 



22 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

pays it on the behalf of man^ the debtor, this ques- 
tion will arise, whether he paid that debt, as God, 
or man, or both? (to use their own terms.) 

Not as God. 

1. In that it divides the unity of the Godhead, 
by two distinct acts, of being offended, and not of- 
fended; of condemning justice and redeeming mer- 
cy ; of requiring a satisfaction, and then making it. 

2. Because, if Christ pays the debt as God, then 
the Father and the Spirit being God, they also pay 
the debt. 

3. Since God is to be satisfied, and that Christ 
is God, he consequently is to be satisfied; and who 
shall satisfy his infinite justice? 

4. But if Christ has satisfied God the Father, 
Christ being also God, it will follow then, that he 
has satisfied himself, (which cannot be.) 

5. But since God the Father was once to be sa- 
tisfied, and that it is impossible that he should do 
it himself, nor yet the Son or Spirit, because the 
same God; it naturally follows that the debt re- 
mains unpaid, and these satisfactionists thus far are 
still at loss. 

Kot as man, 

6. The justice offended being infinite, his satis- 
faction ought to bear a proportion therewith, which 

124 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 23 

Jesus Christ, as man, could never pay, lie being 
finite, and from a finite cause could not proceed an 
infinite effect; for so man may be said to bring forth 
God, since nothing below the divinity itself, can 
rightly be styled infinite. 

Not as God and man. 

7. For where two mediums, or middle proposi- 
tions are singly inconsistent with the nature of the 
end, for which they were at first propounded, their 
conjunction does rather augment, than lessen the 
difficulty of its accomplishment; and this, I am 
persuaded, must be obvious to every unbiassed un- 
derstanding. 

But admitting one of these three mediums pos- 
sible for the payment of an infinite debt; yet, pray 
observe the most unworthy and ridiculous conse- 
quences, that unavoidably will attend the impossi- 
bility of God^s pardoning sinners without a satis- 
faction. 

Consequences Irreligious and Irrational, 

1. That it is unlawful and impossible for God 
Almighty to be gracious and merciful, or to pardon 
transgressors; than which, what is more unworthy 
of God? 

2. That God was inevitably compelled to this 

11* 125 



24 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

way of saving men; the highest affront to his in- 
controllable nature. 

3. That it was unworthy of God to pardon^ but 
not to inflict punishment on the innocent, or re- 
quire a satisfaction where there was nothing due. 

4. It doth not only dis-acknowledge the true vir- 
tue and real intent of Christ's life and death, but 
entirely deprives God of that praise which is owing 
to his greatest love and goodness. 

5. It represents the Son more kind and compas- 
sionate than the Father; whereas, if both be the 
same God, then either the Father is as loving as the 
Son, or the Son as angry as the Father. 

6. It robs God of the gift of his Son for our re- 
demption, [which the scriptures attribute to the un- 
merited love he had for the world,] in affirming the 
Son purchased that redemption from the Father, by 
the gift of himself to God, as our complete satis- 
faction. 

7. Since Christ could not pay what was not his 
own, it follows, that in the payment of his own, the 
case still remains equally grievous; since the debt 
is not hereby absolved or forgiven, but transferred 
only; and by consequences, we are no better pro- 
vided for salvation than before, owing that now to 
the Son, which was once owing to the Father. 

8. It no way renders man beholding, or in the 
126 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 25 

least obliged to God, since, by their doctrine, lie 
would not have abated us, nor did he Christ, the 
least farthing, so that the acknowledgments are pe- 
culiarly the Son's; which destroys the whole cur- 
rent of scripture testimony, for his good will towards 
men. Oh, the infamous portraiture this doctrine 
draws, of the infinite goodness 1 Is this your retri- 
bution, 0, injurious satisfactionists? 

9. That Grod^s justice is satisfied for sins past, 
present, and to come; whereby God and Christ 
have lost both their power of enjoining Godliness, 
and prerogative of punishing disobedience. For 
what is once paid, is not revokable; and if pu- 
nishment should arrest any for their debts, it either 
argues a breach on God's, or Christ's part, or else 
that it has not been sufficiently solved, and the pe- 
nalty completely sustained, by another; forgetting, 
^^that every one must appear before the judgment 
seat of Christ, to receive according to the things 
done in the body.^' [Rom. xiv. 12.] Yea, ^^ every 
one must give an account of himself to God." [2 
Cor. XV. 10.] But many more are the gross ab- 
surdities and blasphemies that are the genuine fruits 
of this so confidently believed doctrine of satisfac- 
tion. 

A CAUTION. 

Let me advise, nay, warn thee, reader, by no 
means to admit an entertainment of this principle, 
127 



26 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

by whomsoever recommended; since it does not only 
divest the glorious God of His sovereign power, 
both to pardon and punish, but as certainly insinu- 
ates a licentiousness, at least a liberty that unbe- 
comes the nature of that ancient Gospel once 
preached among the primitive saints, and that from 
an apprehension of a satisfaction once paid for all. 
Whereas, I must tell thee, that unless thou seriously 
repent, and no more grieve God's holy Spirit, placed 
in thy inmost parts, but art thereby taught to deny 
all ungodliness, and led into all righteousness, at 
the tribunal of the great Judge thy plea shall prove 
invalid, and thou receive thy reward without re- 
spect to any other thing than the deeds done in the 
body. ^^Be not deceived, God will not bo mocked; 
such as thou sowest, such shalt thou reap.'' (Gal. 
vi. 7.) Which leads me to the consideration of my 
third head, viz. Justification hy an Imputative 
Righteousness. 



THE JUSTIFICATION OF IMPURE PERSONS, BY AN 
IMPUTATIVE RIGHTEqUSNESS, REFUTED FROM 
SCRIPTURE. 

Doctrine. " That there is no other way for sin- 
ners to be justified in the sight of God, than by the 
imputation of that righteousness of Christ, long 
since performed personally; and that sanctification 
is consequential, not antecedent/' 
128 



SAl^DY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 27 

Refutation 1. "Keep tKee far from a false 
matter; and the innocent and rigliteoiis slay thou 
not; for I will not justify the wicked.'^ (Ex. xxiii. 
7.) Whereon I ground this argument, that since 
God has prescribed an inoffensive life, as that which 
can only give acceptance with him, and on the con- 
trary hath determined never to justify the wicked, 
then will it necessarily follow, that unless this so 
much believed Imputative Righteousness , had that 
effectual influence, as to regenerate and redeem the 
soul from sin, on which the malediction lies, he has 
as far to seek for justification as before. — For whilst 
a person is really guilty of a false matter, I posi- 
tively assert from the authority and force of this 
scripture, he cannot be in a state of justification. 
And as God will not justify the wicked, so by the 
acknowledged reason of contraries, the just he will 
never condemn, but they, and they only, are the 
justified of God. 

2. "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that 
condemneth the just, even they both are an abomi- 
nation to the Lord.^^ (Pro v. xvii. 15.) It would 
very opportunely be observed, that if it is so great 
an abomination in men to justify the wicked and 
condemn the just, how much greater would it be in 
God, which this doctrine of imputative righteous- 
ness necessarily does imply, that so far disengages 
God from the person justified^ as that his guilt shall 

129 
I 



28^ SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

not condemn liim, nor his innocency justify him? 
But will not the abomination appear greatest of all, 
when God shall be found condemning of the just, 
on purpose to justify the wicked, and that he is 
thereto compelled, or else no salvation; which is the 
tendency of their doctrine, who imagine the right- 
eous and merciful God, to condemn and punish His 
innocent Son, that he having satisfied for our sins, 
we might be justified (whilst unsanctified) by the 
imputation of His perfect righteousness. Oh ! why 
should this horrible thing be contended for by 
Christians ? 

3. ^^The son shall not bear the iniquity of his 
father; the righteousness of the righteous shall be 
upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall 
be upon him. When a righteous man turneth 
away from his righteousness, for his iniquity that 
he hath done shall he die/' Again: "When the 
wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, and 
doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save 
his soul alive: yet saith the house of Israel, the 
ways of the Lord are not equal: Are not my ways 
equal?'' (Ezek. xviii. 20, 26, 27, 28.)— If this 
was once equal, it is so still, for God is unchangea- 
ble: — and therefore I shall draw this argument, that 
the condemnation or justification of persons, is not 
from the imputation of another^ s righteousness, hut 
the actual performance and keeping of God's right- 
ISO 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 29 

eous statutes or commandments ; otlierwise, God 
should forget to be equal. Therefore how wickedly 
unequal are those, who not from, scripture evidences, 
but their own dark conjectures and interpretations 
of obscure passages, would frame a doctrine so 
manifestly inconsistent with God's most pure and 
equal nature; making him to condemn the righteous 
to death, and justify the wicked to life, from the 
imputation of another's righteousness: a most un- 
equal way indeed. 

4. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, 
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but 
he that doeth the will of my Father/' " Whoso- 
ever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, 
I will liken him unto a wise man which built his 
house upon a rock,'' &c. (Matt. vii. 21, 24, 25.) 
How very fruitful are the scriptures of truth, in 
testimonies against this absurd and dangerous doc- 
trine. These words seem to import a two-fold right- 
eousness, the first consists in sacrifice, the last in obe- 
dience: the one makes a talking, the other a doing 
Christian. I, in short, argue thus: if none can 
enter into the kingdom of heaven, but they that do 
the Father's will, then none are justified, but they 
who do the Father's will, because none can enter 
into the kingdom but such as are justified. Since 
therefore there can be no admittance had, without 
performing that righteous will, and doing those holy 

131 



30 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

and perfect sayings; alas! to what value will an 
imputative righteousness amount^ wliea a poor soul 
shall awake polluted in his sin^ by the hasty calls 
of death, to make its appearance before the judg- 
ment seat, where it is impossible to justify the wicked, 
or that any should escape uncondemned, but such 
as do the will of God. 

5. ^^If ye keep my commandments, ye shall 
abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's 
commandments, and abide in his love/' (John xv. 
10.) From whence this argument doth naturally 
arise. If none are truly justified that abide not in 
Christ's love, and that none abide in his love who 
keep not his commandments, then consequently, 
none are justified but such as keep his command- 
ments. Besides, here is the most palpable opposi- 
tion to an imputative righteousness that may be; 
for Christ is so far from telling them of such a way 
of being justified, that he informs them the rea- 
son why he abode in his Father's love, was his obe- 
dience; and is so far from telling them of their be- 
ing justified, whilst not abiding in his love, by virtue 
of his obedience imputed unto them, that unless they 
keep his commands, and obey for themselves, they 
shall be so remote from an acceptance, as wholly to 
be cast out; — in all which Christ is our example. 

6. ^^Yc are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I 
command you.'' (John xv. 14.) We have almost 

132 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 81 

here the very words, but altogether the same mat- 
ter, which affords us thus much, without being 
Christ^s friends there is no being justified. But 
unless we keep his commandments, it is impossible 
we should be his friends; it therefore necessarily 
follows, that except we keep his commandments, 
there is no being justified. Or, in short, thus: if 
the way to be a friend is to keep the commandments, 
then the way to be justified is to keep the com- 
mandments, because none can obtain the quality of 
a friend, and remain unjustified, or be truly justi* 
fied whilst an enemy, which he certainly is that 
keeps not his commandments. 

7. ^^For not the hearers of the law are just be- 
fore God, but the doers of the law shall be justi- 
fied." (Rom. ii. 13.) From whence how unan- 
swerably may I observe, unless we become doers of 
that law, which Christ came not to destroy, but as 
our example, to fulfil, we can never be justified be- 
fore God. Wherefore obedience is so absolutely 
necessary, that short of it there can be no accept- 
ance. Nor let any fancy that Christ hath so ful- 
filled it for them, as to exclude their obedience from 
being requisite to their acceptance, but as their 
pattern; ^^For unless ye follow me, (saith Christ,) 
ye cannot be my disciples:" and it is not only 
repugnant to reason, but in this place particularly 
refuted: for if Christ had fulfilled it on our behalf 
12 133 



82 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

and we not enabled to follow his example, there 
would not be doers, but one doer only of the law 
justified before God. In short, if without obedi- 
ence to the righteous law none can be justified, 
then all our hearing of the law, with but the mere 
imputation of another's righteousness, whilst we 
are actually breakers of it, is excluded, as not jus- ^ 
tifying before God. If you fulfil the royal law, je ' 
do well; so speak ye, and so do ye, as they that 
shall be judged thereby. 

^ 8. ^^If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but 
if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of 
the body, ye shall live.'' (Eom. viii. 13.) ^o man 
can be dead, and justified before God, for so he may 
be justified that lives after the flesh: therefore they 
only can be justified that are alive. From whence 
this follows: if the living are justified and not the 
dead, and that none can live to God but such as 
have mortified the deeds of the body through the 
Spirit, then none can be justified but they who 
have mortified the deeds of the body through the 
Spirit. So that justification does not go before, but is 
subsequential to the mortification of lusts, and sanc- 
tification of the soul, through the Spirit's operation. 
9. ^^For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, 
they are the sons of God.'' (Rom. viii. 14.) How 
clearly will it appear, to any but a cavilling and tena- 
cious spirit, that man can be no farther justified, than 
134 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 83 

as lie becomes obedient to the Spirit^s leadings; for if 
none can be a Son of God; but he that is led by the 
Spirit of God, then none can be justified without 
being led bj the Spirit of God, because none can be 
justified but he that is a son of Grod. So that the 
way to justification and sonship, is through obedience 
to the Spirit's leadings, that is, manifesting the holy 
fruits thereof by an innocent life and conversation. 

10. ^^But let every man prove his own work, and 
then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and 
not in another/' ^^Be not deceived, for whatsoever 
a man soweth, that shall he reap/' (Gal. vi. 4, 7.) 
If rejoicing and acceptance with God, or the con- 
trary, are to be reaped from the work that a man 
soweth, either to the flesh or to the spirit, then is 
the doctrine of acceptance, and ground of rejoicing, 
from the works of another, utterly excluded, every 
man reaping according to what he hath sown, and 
bearing his own burden. 

11. ^^ Was not Abraham our father justified by 
works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the 
altar? Ye see, then, how that by works a man is 
justified, and not by faith only.'' (Jam. ii. 21, 24.) 
He that will seriously peruse this chapter, shall 
doubtless find some, to whom this epistle was wrote, 
of the same spirit with the satisfactionists and im- 
putarians of our time: they fain would have found 
out a justification from faith in and the imputation 

135 



S4 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

of anotlier's righteousness. But James, an Apostle 
of the Most High God, who experimentally knew 
what true faith and justification meant, gave them 
to understand, from Abraham's self-denying ex- 
ample, that unless their faith in the purity and 
power of God's grace had that effectual operation 
to subdue every beloved lust, wean from every De- 
lilah, and entirely to resign and sacrifice Isaac him- 
self, their faith was a fable, or as a body without a 
spirit. And as righteousness^ therefore, in one 
person cannot justify another from unrighteousness, 
so whoever now pretend to be justified by faith, 
whilst not led and guided by the Spirit into all the 
ways of truth, and works of righteousness, their 
faith they will find at last a fic^tion. 

12. ^^ Little children, let no man deceive you, he 
that doeth righteousness, is righteous, as God is 
righteous; (but) he that committeth sin is of the 
devil.'' (1 John iii. 7, 8.) From whence it maybe 
very clearly argued, that none can be in a state of 
justification, from the righteousness performed by 
another imputed unto them, but as they are actually 
redeemed from the commission of sin. For, if ^^he 
that committeth sin is of the devil,'' then cannot 
any be justified completely before God, who is so 
incompletely redeemed, as yet to be under the cap- 
tivity of lust, since then the devil's seed, or offspring, 
may be justified; but that is impossible. It there- 
136 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 35 

fore follows, that as he who doeth righteousness, is 
righteous, as God is righteous; so no farther is he 
like Grod, or justifiable. For in whatsoever he de- 
rogates from the works of that faith, which is held 
in a pure conscience, he is no longer righteous or 
justified, but under condemnation as a transgressor, 
or disobedient person, to the righteous command- 
ment. And if any would obtain the true state of 
justification, let them circumspectly observe the 
holy guidings and instructions of that unction, 
to which the apostle recommended the ancient 
churches, that thereby they may be led out of all 
ungodliness, into truth and holiness; so shall they 
find acceptance with the Lord, who has determined 
^■' never to justify the wicked.^^ 

Refuted from Right Reason. 

1. Because it is impossible for Grod to justify that 
which is both opposite and destructive to the purity 
of his own nature, as this doctrine necessarily obliges 
him to do in accepting the wicked, as not such, 
from the imputation of another's righteousness. 

2. Since man was justified before God, whilst in 
his native innocency, and never condemned, till he 
had erred from that pure state; he never can be jus- 
tified, whilst in the frequent commission of that for 
which the condemnation came. Therefore, to be 
justified, his redemption must be as entire as his fall. 

12* 137 



36 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

3. Because sin came not by imputation, but ac- 
tual transgression; for God did not condemn liis 
creature for wliat he did not, but what he did; there- 
fore must the righteousness be as personal for ac- 
ceptance, otherwise these two things will necessarily 
follow: 1st, That he may be actually a sinner, and 
yet not under the curse. 2nd, That the power of 
the first Adam to death, was more prevalent than 
the power of the second Adam to life. 

4. It is therefore contrary to sound reason, that 
if actual sinning brought death and condemnation, 
any thing besides actual obedience unto righteous- 
ness, should bring life and justification. For death 
and life, condemnation and justification, being vastly 
opposite, no man can be actually dead, and imputa- 
tively alive. Therefore this doctrine, so much con- 
tended for, carries this gross absurdity with it, that 
a man may be actually sinful, yet imputatively right- 
eous; actually judged and condemned, yet imputa- 
tively justified and glorified. In short, he may 
actually be damned, and yet imputatively saved; 
otherwise it must be acknowledged, that obedience 
to justification ought to be as personally extensive, 
as was disobedience to condemnation. In which 
real not imputative sense, those various terms of 
sanctification, righteousness, resurrection, life, re- 
demption, justification, &c., are most infallibly to be 
understood. 

138 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 37 

5. Nor are those words, impute^ imputed, impu- 
teth, imputing, used in scripture by way of opposi- 
tion to that which is actual and inherent, as the as- 
sertors of an imputative righteousness do by their 
doctrine plainly intimate; but so much the contrary, 
as that they are never mentioned, but to express 
men really and personally to be that which is im- 
puted to them, whether as guilty, as remitted, or as 
righteous. For instance: " What man soever of the 
house of Israel, that killeth an ox, and bringeth it 
not to the door of the tabernacle, to offer unto the 
Lord, blood shall be imputed unto that man,'^ or 
charged upon him as guilty thereof. (Lev. xvii. 
4.) ^^And Shimei said unto the king. Let not my 
lord impute iniquity unto me, for thy servant doth 
know that I have sinned.^^ (2 Sam. xix. 18, 19, 20.) 

6. ^^But sin is not imputed where there is no 
law.'' (Rom. v. 13.) From whence it is apparent 
that there could be no imputation, or charging of 
guilt upon any but such as really were guilty. Next 
it is used about remission: ^^ Blessed is the man 
unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity; " (Psal. 
xxxii. 2,) or, as the foregoing words have it, '' whose 
transgression is forgiven.'' Where the non-impu- 
tation doth not argue a non-reality of sin, but the 
reality of God's pardon ; for otherwise there would 
be nothing to forgive, nor yet a real pardon, but 
only imputative, which according to the sense of 

139 



38 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

this doctrine^ I call imaginary. Again, '' God was 
in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not 
imputing their trespasses unto them.^^ (2 Cor. v. 
19.) Where also non-imputation, being a real 
discharge for actual trespasses, argues an imputa- 
tion, by the reason of contraries, to be a real charging 
of actual guilt. Lastly, it is used in relation to 
righteousness: — ^^Was not Abraham justified by 
works, when he offered Isaac? And by works was 
faith made perfect, and the scripture was fulfilled, 
which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was im- 
puted unto him for righteousness.'^ (Jam. ii. 21, 
22, 23.) By which we must not conceive, as do 
the dark imputarians of this age, that Abraham's 
offering personally was not a justifying righteous- 
ness, but that God was pleased to account it so: 
since God never accounts a thing that which it is not. 
Nor was there any imputation of another's righteous- 
ness to Abraham, but, on the contrary, his personal 
obedience was the ground of that just imputation. 
And, therefore, that any should be justified from the 
imputation of another's righteousness, not inherent, 
or actually possessed by them, is both ridiculous and 
dangerous. Ridiculous, since it is to say a man is 
rich to the value of a thousand pounds, whilst he 
is not really or personally worth a groat, from the 
imputation of another, who has it all in his posses- 
sion. Dangerous, because it begets a confident per- 
140 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 39 

suasion in many people of their being justified 
whilst in captivity to those lusts, whose reward is 
condemnation; whence came that usual saying 
amongst many professors of religion, ^Hhat God 
looks not on them as they are in themselveS; but as 
they are in Christ/' Not considering that none 
can be in Christ, who are not new creatures, which 
those cannot be reputed, who have not disrobed 
themselves of their old garments, but are still im- 
mantled with the corruptions of the old man. 

Consequences Irreligious and Irrational, 

1. It makes God guilty of what the scriptures 
say is an abomination, to wit, that he justifieth the 
wicked. 

2. It makes him look upon persons as they are 
not, or with respect, which is unworthy of his most 
equal nature. 

8. He is hereby at peace with the wicked, (if 
justified whilst sinners,) who said, "There is no 
peace to the wicked.^' 

4. It does not only imply communion with them 
here, in an imperfect state, but so to' all eternity. 
" For whom he justified, them he also glorified.'^ 
(Rom. viii. 30.) Therefore, whom he justified, 
whilst sinners, them he also glorified whilst sin- 
ners. 

5. It only secures from the wages, not the domi- 

141 



40 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 

nion of sin, whereby something that is sinful comes 
to be justified; and that which defileth, to enter God's 
kingdom. 

6. It renders a man justified and condemned, 
dead and alive, redeemed, and not redeemed, at the 
same time, the one by an imputative righteousness 
— the other a personal unrighteousness. 

7. It flatters men while subject to the world's 
lusts, with a state of justification, and thereby in- 
validates the very end of Christ's appearance, which 
was to destroy the works of the devil, and take away 
the sins of the world : a quite contrary purpose than 
what the satisfactionists and imputarians of our 
times have imagined, viz. to satisfy for their sins, 
and by his imputed righteousness, to represent them 
holy in him, whilst unholy in themselves. There- 
fore, since it was to take away sin, and destroy the 
devil's works, which were not in himself, for that 
holy one saw no corruption, consequently,in mankind; 
what can therefore be concluded more evidently true, 

han that such in whom sin is not taken away, and 
.he devil's works undestroyed, are strangers, (not- 
kvithstanding their conceits,) to the very end and 
purpose of Christ's manifestation. 

Condusiony hy way of Caution, 
Thus, reader, have I led thee through those three 
so generally applauded doctrines, whose confutation 
142 



SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN. 41 

I hope, thougli thou hast run, thou hast read. And 
now I call the righteous God of heaven to bear me 
record, that I have herein sought nothing below the 
defence of his unity, mercy, and purity, against the 
rude and impetuous assaults of tradition, press, and 
pulpit, from whence I daily hear what rationally in- 
duccth me to believe a conspiracy is held by counter- 
plots, to obstruct the exaltation of truth, and to 
betray evangelical doctrines to idle traditions. But 
God will rebuke the winds, and destruction shall 
attend the enemies of his anointed. Mistake me 
not, we never have disowned a Father, Word, and 
Spirit, which are One, but men's inventions. For, 
1. Their trinity has not so much as a foundation in 
the Scriptures. 2. Its original was three hundred 
years after Christianity was iu the world. 3. It 
having cost much blood; in the council of Sirmium, 
Anno 355, it was decreed, ^Hhat henceforth the 
controversy should not be remembered, because the 
scriptures of God made no mention thereof.'' (Socrat. 
Schol. An. 355. Cone. Sirm. cap. 25, pag. 285.) 
Why then should it be mentioned now with a Ma- 
ranatha on all that will not bow to this abstruse 
opinion? 4. And it doubtless hath occasioned idola- 
try, witness the Popish images of Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost. 5. It scandalizeth Turks, Jews, and 
infidels, and palpably obstructs their reception of 
the Christian doctrine. Nor is there more to be 

143 



42 SANDY FOUNDATION SHAKEN 

said on tlie behalf of tlie other two; for I can boldly 
cliallenge anj person to give me one scripture phrase 
which does approach the doctrine of satisfaction, 
(much less the name,) considering to what degree it 
is stretched; not that we do deny, but really confess, 
that Jesus Christ, in life, doctrine, and death, ful- 
filled his Father's will, and offered up a most satis- 
factory sacrifice, but not to pay God, or help him 
(as otherwise being unable) to save men; and for 
a justification by an imputative righteousness, whilst 
not real, it is merely an imagination, not a reality, 
and therefore rejected ; otherwise confessed and 
known to be justifying before God, because '' there 
is no abiding in Christ's love without keeping his 
commandments/' I therefore caution thee in love, 
of whatsoever tribe, or family of religion thou may est 
be, not longer to deceive thyself, by the over-fond 
embraces of human apprehensions for divine mys- 
teries ; but rather be informed that God hath be- 
stowed a measure of his grace on thee and me, to 
show us what is good, that we may obey and do it; 
which if thou diligently wilt observe, thou shalt be 
led out of all unrighteousness, and in thy obedience, 
shalt thou '^ receive power to become a son of God;" 
in which happy estate God only can be known by 
men, and they know themselves to be justified be- 
fore him, whom experimentally to know, "by Jesus 
Christ is life eternal/' 
144 



IfflOCEEY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 



PRESENTED BY WAY OP 



APOLOGY 



FOR THE BOOK ENTITLED 



THE SANDY FOUxNDATION SHAKEN, 



ALL SERIOUS AND INQUIRING PERSONS, PARTICULARLY 
THE INHABITANTS OF THE CITY OF LONDON. 



BY WILLIAM PENN, Jun. 



" He tliat uttereth a slander is a fool." — Proy. x. 18. 

" A false balance is an abomination to the Lord." — Prov. xi. 1. 



(Published in the year 1668.) 



PHILADELPHIA: 
T. ELLWOOD CHAPMAN, 

Ko. 1 SOUTH FIFTH STREET, 

1855. 



IMOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 



Religion, althougli there be nothing of greater 
concernment, nor whicli doth more essentially im- 
port the immortal happiness of men; yet such is the 
calamity of the age, that there is not anything they 
are less solicitous about, or serious in the prosecution 
of, vainly imagining it to consist in the implicit sub- 
scription to, and verbal confession of, men^s in- 
vented traditions and precepts, whilst they neglect 
that more orthodox definition of the apostle James, 
viz. "Pure religion and undefiled, before God, is, 
to visit the fatherless, and to keep himself unspotted 
from the world; '^ * and instead thereof, believe they 
are performing the best of services, in sacrificing the 
reputation, liberty, estate, if not life itself, of others, 
to their own tenacious conceptions; because perhaps, 
though persons of more virtue, they cannot in all 
punctilios correspond therewith: how much I have 

*Jam. i. 17. 

147 



4 INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 

been made an instance must needs be too notorious 
to any that hold the least intelligence with common 
famcy that scarce ever took more pains to make the 
proverb good^ by proving herself a liar, than in my 
concern; who have been most egregiously slandered^ 
reviled, and defamed by pulpit, press, and talk, 
terming me a blasphemer, seducer, Socinian, deny- 
ing the divinity of Christ the Saviour, and what 
not! and all this about my late answer to a disputa- 
tion with some Presbyterians; but how unjustly, it 
is the business of this short apology to show, which 
had not been thus long retarded, if an expectation 
first to have been brought upon my examination 
had not required a suspense; and if I shall acquit 
myself from the injurious imputations of my adver- 
saries, I hope the cry will have an end; to which 
purpose, let but my innocency have your hearing in 
her own defence, who, as she never can detract 
from her intentions in what she really hath done; 
so will she as easily disprove her enemies, in mani- 
festing their accusations to be fictitious: judge not 
before you read, neither believe any farther than 
you see. 

1. That which I am credibly informed to be 
the greatest reason for my imprisonment, and that 
noise of blasphemy, which hath pierced so many 
ears of late, is, my denjang the divinity of Christ, 
and divesting him of his eternal Godhead, which 
148 



INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 5 

most busily liatli been suggested as well to those 
in authority, as maliciously insinuated amongst the 
people; wherefore let me beseech you to be impar- 
tial and considerate, in the perusal of my vindica- 
tion, which being in the fear of the Almighty God, 
and the simplicity of scripture dialect, presented to 
you, I hope my innocency will appear beyond a 
scruple. The Proverbs, which as most agree, in- 
tend Christ, the Saviour, speak in this manner: 
"By me kings reign, and princes decree justice; 
I (wisdom) lead in the midst of the paths of judg- 
ment: I was set up from everlasting;^^* to which 
PauFs words allude, "Unto them which are called 
(we preach) Christ the power of God, and the wis- 
dom of God; '^ f from whence I conclude Christ the 
Saviour to be God; for otherwise God would not be 
himself; since if Christ be' distinct from God, and 
yet God's power and wisdom, God would be with- 
out his own power and wisdom; but inasmuch as it 
is impossible God's power and wisdom should be 
distinct or divided from himself, it reasonably follows, 
that Christ, who is that power and wisdom, is not 
distinct from God, but entirely that very same God. 
Next, the prophets, David and Isaiah, speak 
thus: "The Lord is my light and my salvation. I 
will give thee for a light unto the Gentiles; '^ and 

*Prov. viii. 15, 20, 23. f 1 Cor. i. 24. 

18* 149 



6 INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 

speaking to the church, ^^For the Lord shall be 
thine everlasting light; ^^* to which the evangelist 
adds, concerning Christ, ^^that was the true light, 
which lighteth every man that cometh into the 
world. God is light, and in him is no darkness at 
all/^f from whence I assert the unity of God and 
Christ, because though nominally distinguished, yet 
essentially the same divine light; for if Christ be 
that light, and that light be God, then is Christ 
God; or if God be that light, and that light be 
Christ, then is God Christ. Again, ^^And the city 
had no need of the sun, for the glory of God did 
lighten it, and the Lamb (Christ) is the light there- 
of; '^t by which the Oneness of the nature of these 
lights plainly appears; for since God is not God 
without his own glory, and that his glory lightens, 
(which it could never do if it were not light) and 
that the Lamb, or Christ, is that very same light, 
what can follow, but that Christ the light^and God 
the light; are One pure and eternal light. 

Next, from the word Saviour, it is manifest, ^^ I, 
even I am the Lord, and beside me there is no Sa- 
viour: and thou shalt know no God but me, for 
there is no Saviour besides me. — And Mary said, 
My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour :'' and 
the Samaritans said unto the woman, ^^Now we 

*Psal. xxvii. 1. Isa. xlix. 6; and chap. Ix. 2. 
t John i. 9. 1 John i. 5. t Key. xxi. 23. 

150 



INNOOENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 7 

know tliat this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of 
the world. According to his grace made manifest 
by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ. 
Simon Peter to them that have obtained like pre- 
cious faith with us, through the righteousness of 
God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ. For therefore 
we suffer reproach, because we trust in the living 
God; who is the Saviour of all men: to the only- 
wise God our Saviour be glory/'* &c. 

From which, I conclude Christ to be God; for if 
none can save, or be styled properly a Saviour but 
God, and yet that Christ is said to save, and pro- 
perly called a Saviour, it must needs follow, that 
Christ the Saviour is God. 

Lastly, ^^In the beginning was the (\oyosj) 
Word, (which the Greeks sometimes understood for 
wisdom and divine reason) and the Word was with 
God, and the Word was God: all things were made 
by him, and without him was not any thing made that 
was made. For by him were all things created that 
are in heaven, and that are in earth. He is before 
all things, and by him all things consist. Uphold- 
ing all things by the word of his power,''*]- &c. 
Vv^herefore I am still confirmed in the belief of 

^ Isa. xliii. xi. 11. Hos. xiii. 4. Luke i. 47. John iv. 42. 

2 Tim. i. 9, 10. 2 Pet. i. 1. 1 Tim. iv. 10. Jude v. 25. 

t John i. 1—3. Col. i. 16, 17. Heb. i. 3, 10. John i. 14. 

151 



8 INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 

CHrist the Saviour's divinity; for lie that made all 
tilings^ and by wliom they consist and are upheld, 
because before all things; he was not made nor up- 
held by another, and consequently is God; now that 
this 7.oyo<;j or Word that was made flesh, or Christ, 
the light, power and wisdom of God, and Saviour 
of men, hath made all things, and is he by whom 
they only consist and are upheld, because he was 
before them, is most evident, from the recited pas- 
sages of scripture; therefore he was not made, nor 
is he upheld by any other power than his own, and 
consequently is truly God. In short, this conclu- 
sive argument for the proof of Christ the Saviour's 
being God, should certainly persuade all sober per- 
sons of my innocency, and my adversaries' malice. 
He that is the ^^ everlasting wisdom, the divine power, 
the true light, the only Saviour, the creating Word 
of all things, (whether visible or invisible) and their 
upholder by his own power, is without contradiction 
God;'^ but all these qualifications and divine pro- 
perties are, by the concurrent testimonies of scrip- 
ture, ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ; therefore, 
without a scruple, I call and believe him really to be 
the mighty God. And for more ample satisfaction, 
let but my reply to J. Clapham* be perused, in 
which Christ's divinity and eternity are very fully 
asserted. 

^See Guide Mistaken. 

152 



INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 9 

Judge then, impartial readers, (to wliom I appeal 
in this concern) whether mj Christian reputation 
hath not been unworthily traduced; and that those 
several persons who have been posting out their 
books against me [whilst a close prisoner] have not 
been beating the air, and fighting with their own 
shadows, in supposing what I never thought, much 
less writ of, to be the intention of my book; and 
then as furiously have fastened on me their own 
conceits, expecting I should feel the smart of every 
blow, who thus far am no ways interested in their 
heat. 

As for my being a Socinian, I must confess I have 
read of one Socinus, of (what they call) a noble 
family in Sene, in Italy, who about the year 1574, 
being a young man, voluntarily did abandon the 
glories, pleasures and honours of the great duke of 
Tuscany' s court at Florence, [that noted place for 
all worldly delicacies] and became a perpetual exile 
for his conscience; whose parts, wisdom, gravity 
and just behaviour, made him the most famous with 
the Polonian and Transylvanian churches: but I 
was never baptized into his name, and therefore 
deny that reproachful epithet; and if in any thing 
I acknowledge the verity of his doctrine, it is for 
the truth's sake, of which, in many things, he had 
a clearer prospect than most of his contemporaries; 
but not therefore a Socinian, any more than a son 

153 



10 INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 

of the Englisli cliurcli, whilst esteemed a Quaker, 
because I justify many of her principles, since the 
reformation, against the Roman church. 

II. As for the business of satisfaction, I am pre- 
vented by a person whose r-eputation is generally 
great amongst the Protestants of these nations; for 
since the doctrine against which I mostly levelled 
my arguments, was, ^The impossibility of God's 
forgiving sin upon repentance, without Christ's 
paying his justice, by suffering infinite vengeance 
and eternal death for sins past, present and to come,' 
he plainly in his late discourse about Christ's suf- 
ferings, against Crellius,* acknowledges me no less, 
by granting, upon a new state of the controversy, 
^both the possibility of God's pardoning sins, as 
debts, without such a rigid satisfaction, and the im- 
possibility of Christ's so suffering for the world;' 
reflecting closely upon those persons, as ^giving so 
just an occasion to the church's adversaries to think 
they triumph over her faith, whilst it is only over 
their mistakes, who argue with more zeal than judg- 
ment:' nay, one of the main ends which first in- 
duced me to that discourse, I find thus delivered 
by him, namely. If they did believe Christ came 
into the world to reform it, ^ that the wrath of God 
is now revealed from heaven against all unrighteous- 

^ Stillingfleet contra Crell. pag. 269, 270, 271, 273, 
274. 

154 



INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 11 

ness; that his love, which is shown to the world, is 
to deliver them from the hand of their enemies, 
that they might serve him in righteousness and 
holiness all the days of their lives; they could never 
imagine that salvation is entailed by the gospel upon 
a mighty confidence, or vehement persuasion of 
what Christ hath done and suffered for them:'* 
thus doth he confess, upon my hypothesis or pro- 
position, what I mainly contend for: and however 
positively I may reject or deny my adversaries' un- 
scriptural and imaginary satisfaction, let all know 
this, that I pretend to know no other name by which 
remission, atonement and salvation can be obtained, 
but Jesus Christ the Saviour, who is the power and 
wisdom of God, what apprehensions soever people 
may have entertained concerning me. 

III. As for justification by an imputed right- 
eousness, I still say, that whosoever believes in 
Christ shall have remission and justification: but 
then it must be such a faith as can no more live 
without works,f than a body without a spirit; 
wherefore I conclude, that true faith comprehends 
evangelical obedience; and here the same Dr. Stil- 
lingfleetj comes in to my relief, (though it is not 
wanting) by a plain assertion of the necessity of 
obedience, viz. ^Such who make no other condition 

*Stillingfleet contra Crell. p. 160. f Jam. ii, 26. 

JStillingfleet contra CreU. p. 164, 165, 166. 

155 



12 INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 

of the gospel but believing, ought to have a care to 
keep their hearts sounder than their heads;' thereby 
intimating the grand imperfection and danger of 
such a notion: and therefore (God Almighty bears 
me record) my design was nothing less, or more, 
than to wrest those beloved and sin-pleasing prin- 
ciples out of the hands, heads, and hearts of people, 
that by the fond persuasion of being justified from 
the personal righteousness of another, without rela- 
tion to their own obedience, they might not sin on 
upon trust, till the arrest of eternal vengeance should 
irrecoverably overtake them; that all might be in- 
duced to an earnest pursuit after holiness, by a cir- 
cumspect observance to God's Holy Spirit, without 
which none shall ever see the Lord. And (to shut 
up my apology for religious matters) that all may 
see the simplicity, scripture doctrine, and phrase of 
my faith, in the most important matters of eternal 
life, I shall here subjoin a short confession. 

I sincerely own, and unfeignedly believe (by vir- 
tue of the sound knowledge and experience received 
from the gift of that holy unction, and divine grace 
inspired from on high) in one holy, just, merciful, 
almighty and eternal God, who is the Father of all 
things; that appeared to the holy patriarchs and 
prophets of old, at sundry times, and in divers man- 
ners; * and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the everlasting 

^'1 Cor. yiii. 5, 6. Heb. i. 1. 1 Cor. viii. 6. 
156 



INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 13 

wisdom, divine power, true light, only Saviour and 
preserver of all, the same one, holy, just, merciful, 
almighty and eternal God, who in the fulness of 
time took, and was manifested in the flesh, at which 
time he preached (and his disciples after him) the 
everlasting gospel of repentance, and promise of re- 
mission of sins and eternal life, to all that heard and 
obeyed; who said, he that is with you (in the flesh) 
shall be in you, (by the spirit) and though he left 
them (as to the flesh) yet not comfortless, for he 
would come to them again (in the spirit:) "for a 
little while, and they should not see him (as to the 
flesh;) again, a little while and they should see 
him (in the spirit;'^) for the Lord (Jesus Christ) 
is that spirit, a manifestation whereof is given to 
every one to profit withal; In which Holy Spirit I 
believe, as the same almighty and eternal God, who 
as in those times he ended all shadows, and became 
the infallible guide to them that walked therein, by 
which they were adopted heirs and co-heirs of glory :* 
so am I a living witness, that the same holy, just, 
merciful, almighty and eternal God, is now, as then, 
(after this tedious night of idolatry, superstition, 
and human inventions, that hath overspread the 
world) gloriously manifested to discover and save 

* John i. 14. 1 Tim. iii. 16. Mat. iv. 17. Lukexxiv. 
47. John xiv. 17, 18. Chap. xvi. 16. 2 Cor. iii. 17. 1 
Cor. i. 7. Rom. viii. 14, 17. 

14 157 



14 INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 

from all iniquity, and to conduct unto the holy land 
of pure and endless peace; in a word, to tabernacle 
in men: and I also firmly believe, that without re- 
penting and forsaking of past sins, and walking in 
obedience to this heavenly voice, which would guide 
into all truth, and establish there, remission and 
eternal life can never be obtained; but unto them 
that fear his name, and keep his commandments; 
they, and they only shall have right unto the tree 
of life;* for whose name's sake I have been made 
willing to relinquish and forsake all the vain fashions, 
enticing pleasures, alluring honours, and glittering 
glories of this transitory world,f and readily to ac- 
cept the portion of a fool, from this deriding ge- 
neration, and become a man of sorrow, and a per- 
petual reproach to my familiars; yea, and with the 
greatest cheerfulness can obsignate and confirm, 
(with no less seal, than the loss of whatsoever this 
doting world accounts dear) this faithful confession; 
having my eye fixed upon a more enduring sub- 
stance and lasting inheritance; J and being infallibly 
assured, that when time shall be no more, I shall 
(if faithful hereunto) possess the mansions of eter- 
nal life, and be received into his everlasting habi- 
tation of rest and glory, 

* Rev. xxi. 3. Prov. xxviii. 13. Luke xiv. 33. Rev. 
xxi. 27. Chap. xxii. 14. 

t Mat. X. 37, 38, 39. % 1 Pet. iv. 14. 

158 



INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 15 

IV. Lastly, it may not be unreasonable to ob- 
serve, that however industrious some (and those 
dissenters too) have been to represent me as a per- 
son disturbing the civil peace, I have not violated 
any truly fundamental law which relates to external 
property and good behaviour, and not to religious 
apprehensions; it being the constant principle of 
myself and friends, to maintain good works, and 
keep our consciences void of offence, paying active 
or passive obedience, suitable to the meek example 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Nor would I have any 
ignorant how forward I was by messages, letters, and 
visits, to have determined this debate in a sober 
and select assembly, notwithstanding the rude en- 
tertainment we had met with before; but, contrary 
to their own appointments, our adversaries failed 
us, which necessitated me to that defence: and 
finding the truth so pressed with slander, I cannot 
but say I saw my just call to her relief: but, alas! 
how have these two or three extemporary sheets 
been tost, tumbled, and torn on all hands, yea, 
aggravated to a monstrous design, even the subver- 
sion of the Christian religion, than which there 
could be nothing more repugnant to my principle 
and purpose; wherefore how very intemperate as 
well as unjust have all my adversaries been in their 
revilings, slanders, and defamations! using the most 
opprobrious terms of '^ Seducer, heretic, blasphemer^ 

159 



16 INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 

deceiver, Socinian, Pelagian, Simon Magus, im- 
piously robbing Cbrist of bis divinity, for whom the 
vengeance of tbe great day is reserved,'^* &c. Nor 
have these things been whispered, but, in one book 
and pulpit after another, have more or less been thun- 
dered out against me, as if some bull had lately been 
arrived from E-ome; and all this acted under the 
foul pretence of zeal and love to Jesus Christ, whose 
meek and gentle example always taught it for a 
principal mark of true Christianity, to suffer the 
most outrageous injuries, but never to return any; 
nay, if my adversaries would but be just and con- 
stant to themselves, how can they offer to conspire 
my destruction upon a religious ground, who either 
are themselves under a present limitation, or have 
been formerly by the Papists? tell me, I pray, did 
Luther, that grand reformer, whom you so much 
reverence, justly demand from the emperor at the 
diet of Worms (where he was summoned to appear) 
that none should sit judge upon his doctrines but 
the scripture; and in case they should be cast, that 
no other sentence should be passed upon him, than 
what Gamaliel offered to the Jewish council, ^^If it 
were not of God, it would not stand; '^f and if you 
will not censure him who first of all arraigned the 

"^ See T. Vincent's late railing piece against the 
Quakers, also T. Danson's and Dr. Owen's. Mat. v. 89, 40* 
f Coun. Trent, p. 14. 

160 



INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 17 

Christian world (so called) at the bar of his private 
judgment, (that had so many hundred years soundly 
slept without so much as giving one considerable 
shrug or turn during that tedious winter-night of 
dark apostacy) but justify his proceedings, can you 
so furiously assault others? But, above all, you, 
who refuse conformity to others, and that have been 
writing these eight years for liberty of conscience?, 
and take it at this very season by an indulgent con- 
nivance; what pregnant testimonies do you give of 
your unwillingness to grant that to others you so 
earnestly beg for yourselves ? Doth it not discover 
your injustice, and plainly express that only want 
of power hinders you to act? But of all Protest- 
ants in general I demand, do you believe that per- 
secution to be Christian in yourselves, that you con- 
demned for anti-christian in the Papists? You judged 
it a weakness in their religion, and is it a cogent 
argument in yours? Nay, is it not the readiest way 
to enhance and propagate the reputation of what 
you would depress? If you were displeased at their 
assuming an infallibility, will you believe it impos- 
sible in yourselves to err ? Have Whitaker, Rey- 
nolds, Laud, Owen, Baxter, Stillingfleet, Poole, &c., 
disarmed the Romanists of these inhuman weapons^ 
that; you might employ them against your inoffensive 
countrymen ? Let the example and holy precepts 
of Christ dissuade you, who came not to destroy, 
14* 161 



18 INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 

but save; and soberly reflect upon liis equal law of 
doing as you would be done unto. Remember I 
have not dethroned a divinity, subverted faith, made 
void obedience, nor frustrated the hope of an eternal 
recompense; much less have I injured your persons, 
or in any thing deviated from that Oso^ sv^sto^ and 
(sw-tr^pTjeo^, or holy principle so much insisted on by 
philosophers and lawyers as the original of good laws, 
and life: no, your own consciences shall advocate 
on my behalf. Let it suffice then, that we who are 
nicknamed Quakers have, under every revolution of 
power and religion, been the most reviled, con- 
temned and persecuted, as if God indeed " had set 
us forth in these last days as a spectacle to the 
world, to angels and to men;'^* and treated as if, 
by being what we are, our common right and in- 
terest in human societies were forfeited; neither ac- 
cept that for a true measure of our Hfe and doctrines, 
which hath been taken by the ill-will or ignorance 
of others; but rather make an impartial examination, 
that what you judge may be from what you know, 
and not from what you hear at second-hand; and 
then we shall as little question your just opinion of 
our innocency, as we have too much been made sen- 
sible of the sad effects that follow an ignorant and 
unadvised zeal: for so monstrously fond are some of 

* 1 Cor. iv. 9. 
162 



INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 19 

their persuasions^ and doting on tbe patrons of them, 
that they seldom have discretion^ much less religious 
desires, to consider how true or false another religion 
is, or what maybe the consequence of its toleration; 
but with a fury, not inferior to their ignorance, cry 
Crucify, crucify; and pharisee-like, out of pretence 
of honour and service done to God Almighty, and 
the memory of his holy prophets, stick not to per- 
secute his beloved Son, and righteous servants; so 
cruel, blind, and obstinate is persecution; be there- 
fore advised in the words of that meek example 
Jesus Christ ; call not for fire any more; let the 
tares grow with the wheat; neither employ that 
sword any more, which was commanded to be 
sheathed so many hundred years ago; suppose we 
were enemies to the true religion; but have a care 
you are not upon one of Saul's errands to Damas-^ 
cus, and helping the mighty against God and his 
anointed ; and rather choose by fair and moderate 
debates (not penalties ratified by imperial decrees) 
to determine religious differences; so will you at 
least obtain tranquillity, which may be called a civil 
unity. But if you are resolved severity shall take 
its course, in this our case can never change, nor 
happiness abate ; for no human edict can possibly 
deprive us of his glorious presence, who is able to 
make the dismalest prisons so many receptacles oi 
pleasure, and whose heavenly fellowship doth un- 

163 



20 INNOCENCY WITH HER OPEN FACE. 

speakablj replenisli our solitary souls with divine 
consolation ; by whose holy, meek, and harmless 
spirit I have been taught most freely to forgive, 
and not less earnestly to solicit the temporal and 
eternal good of all my adversaries. Farewell. 

WILLIAM PENN, Jun. 



A QUESTIONARY. POSTSCRIPT. 

Where doth the scripture say, that Christ suffered 
an eternal death, and infinite vengeance? For did 
not Christ rise the third day? And is not infinite 
vengeance and eternal death without end? And 
doth not God say he was well-pleased with his Son 
before his death ? And was not his offering ac- 
ceptable? And did not the apostle say, that the 
saints were accepted in Christ that was God's be- 
loved? And this was after Christ died and rose; and 
God was said to be well-pleased with his Son, both 
before he suffered, in his suffering, and after he suf- 
fered, though displeased with those that caused him 
to suffer. 

164 



/ 



WILLIAM PENN'S LETTER 

TO HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN, 

On Ills departure for America, after he Tiad obtained 
a Charter for the Province of Fennsylvariia from 
Charles the Second of England, 



'' M}/ dear Wife and Children: — My love, wMcli 
neitlier sea, nor land, nor death itself, can extinguish 
or lessen toward you, most endearedly visits you with 
eternal embraces, and will abide with you for ever; 
and may the God of my life watch over you and 
bless you, and do you good in this world and for 
ever! — Some things are upon my spirit to leave 
with you in your respective capacities, as I am to 
one a husband, and to the rest a father, if I should 
never see you more in this world. 

^^My dear wife! remember thou wast the love of 
my youth, and much the joy of my life; the most 
beloved, as well as the most worthy of all my earthly 
comforts: and the reason of that love was more thy 
inward than thy outward excellencies, which yet 
were many. God knows, and thou knowest it, I 
can say it was a match of Providence's making; and 
God's image in us both was the first thing, and the 

165 



4 WILLIAM PENN S LETTER 

most amiable and engaging ornament in our eyes. 
Now I am to leave thee, and tha-t without knowing 
whether I shall ever see thee more in this world, 
take my counsel into thy bosom, and let it dwell 
with thee in my stead while thou livest. 

^^ First: Let the fear of the Lord, and a zeal and 
love to his glory, dwell richly in thy heart; and 
thou wilt watch for good over thyself and thy dear 
children and famil}^, that no rude, light, or bad 
thing be committed: else God will be offended, and 
he will repent himself of the good he intends thee 
and thine. 

^^ Secondly: Be diligent in meetings for worship 
and business; stir up thyself and others therein; it 
is thy duty and place: and let meetings be kept 
once a day in the family to wait upon the Lord, who 
has given us much time for ourselves: and, my 
dearest, to make thy family matters easy to thee, 
divide thy time, and be regular: it is easy and sweet: 
thy retirement will afford thee to do it; as in the 
morning to view the business of the house, and fix 
it as thou desirest, seeing all be in order: that by 
thy counsel all may move, and to thee render an 
account every evening. The time for work, for 
walking, for meals, may be certain, at least as near 
as may be: and grieve not thyself with careless 
servarts; they will disorder thee; rather pay them, 
and k t them go, if they will not be better by ad- 



TO HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. 5 

monition: this is best to avoid many words, which 
I know wound the soul and offend the Lord. 

^^ Thirdly: Cast up thy income, and see what it 
daily amounts to : by which thou mayest be sure to 
have it in thy sight and power to keep within 
compass : and I beseech thee to live low and 
sparingly, till my debts are paid; and then enlarge 
as thou seest it convenient. Remember thy mother's 
example, when thy father's public-spiritedness had 
worsted his estate, (which is my case.) I know 
thou lovest plain things, and art averse to the pomps 
of the world — a nobility natural to thee. I write, 
not as doubtful, but to quicken thee, for my sake, 
to be more vigilant herein; knowing that God will 
bless thy care, and thy poor children and thee for 
it. My mind is wrapt up in a saying of thy father's, 
'I desire not riches, but to owe nothing;' and truly 
that is wealth, and more than enough to live is a 
snare attended with many sorrows. I need not bid 
thee be humble, for thou art so; nor meek and pa- 
tient, for it is much of thy natural disposition: but 
I pray thee be oft in retirement with the Lord, and 
guard against encroaching friendships. Keep them 
at arms'-end; for it is giving away our power — ay, 
and self too, into the possession of another; and that 
which might seem engaging in the beginning, may 
prove a yoke and burden too hard and heavy in the 
end. Wherefore keep dominion over thyself, and 

167 



WILLIAM PENN S LETTER 



I 



let tlij children^ good meetings, and Friends, be the 
pleasure of thy life. 

^^ Fourthly: And now, my dearest, let me recom- 
mend to thy care my dear children; abundantly be- 
loved of me, as the Lord's blessings, and the sweet 
pledges of our mutual and endeared affection. Above 
all things, endeavour to breed them up in the love 
of virtue, and that holy, plain way of it which we 
hare lived in, that the world in no part of it get 
into my family. I had rather they were homely 
than finely bred as to outward behaviour; yet I love 
sweetness, mixed with gravity, and cheerfulness 
tempered with sobriety. Religion in the heart leads 
into this true civility, teaching men and women to 
be mild and courteous in their behaviour — an ac- 
complishment worthy indeed of praise. 

^^ Fifthly: Next breed them up in a love one of 
another: tell them it is the charge I left behind me; 
and that it is the way to have the love and blessing 
of God upon them ; also what his portion is, who 
hates, or calls his brother fool. Sometimes separate 
them, but not long ; and allow them to send and 
give each other small things to endear one another 
with. Once more I say, 'tell them it was my coun- 
sel they should be tender and affectionate one to 
another. For their learning be liberal. Spare no 
cost; for by such parsimony all is lost that is saved: 
but let it be useful knowledge, such as is consistent 
168 



TO HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. 7 

with trutli and godliness, not cherishing a vain con- 
versation or idle mind, but ingenuity mixed with 
industry is good for the body and mind too. I re- 
commend the useful parts of mathematics, as build- 
ing houses or ships, measuring, surveying, dialing, 
navigation; but agriculture is especially in my eye: 
let my children be husbandmen and housewives; it 
is industrious, healthy, honest, and of good example; 
like Abraham and the holy ancients, who pleased 
God, and obtained a good report. This leads to 
consider the works of God and nature, of things 
that are good, and diverts the mind from being 
taken up with the vain arts and inventions of a 
luxurious world. It is commendable in the princes 
of Germany and the nobles of that empire that 
they have all their children instructed in some useful 
occupation. Rather keep an ingenious person in 
the house to teach them than send them to schools, 
too many evil impressions being commonly received 
there. Be sure to observe their genius, and do not 
cross it as to learning: let them not dwell too long 
on one thing: but let their change be agreeable, 
and all their diversions have some little bodily la- 
bour in them. When grown big, have most care 
for them; for then there are more snares both within 
and without. When marriageable, see that they 
have worthy persons in their eye, of good life, and 
good ftxme for piety and understanding. I need no 
15 169 



8 WILLIAM PENN's LETTER 

wealth, but sufficiency; and be sure their love be 
dear, fervent, and mutual, that it may be happy for 
them. I choose not they should be married to earthly, 
covetous kiiidred; and of cities and towns of con- 
course beware; the world is apt to stick close to 
those who have lived and got wealth there: a country 
life and estate I like best for my children. I pre- 
fer a decent mansion, of a 'hundred pounds per 
annum, before ten thousand pounds in London, or 
such-like place, in a way of trade. In fine, my dear, 
endeavour to breed them dutnul to the Lord, and 
his blessed light, truth, and grace fn their hearts, 
who is their Creator, and his fear will grow up with, 
them. Teach a child (says the wise man) the way 
thou wilt have him to walk, and when he is old he 
will not forget it. Next, obedience to thee, their 
dear mother; and that not for wrath, but for con- 
science' sake; liberal to the poor, pitiful to the 
miserable, humble and kind to all; and may my 
God make thee a blessing, and give thee comfort in 
our dear children; and, in age, gather thee to the 
joy and blessedness of the just (where no death shall 
separate us) for ever! 

" And now, my dear childreti, that are the gifts 
and mercies of the God of your tender father, hear 
my counsel, and lay it up in your hearts; love it 
more than treasure, and follow it, and you shall be 
blessed here, and happy hereafter. 
170 



TO niS WIFE AND CHILDREN. 9 

^^ In tlie first place, remember your Creator in the 
days of your youth. It was the glory of Israel, in 
the second of Jeremiah : and how did God bless 
Josiah, because he feared him in his youth! and so 
he did Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. 0, my dear 
children, remember, and fear and serve Him who 
made you, and gave you to me and your dear mother; 
that you may live to him and glorify him in your 
' generations! 

^^To do this, in your youthful days seek after the 
Lord, that you may find him; remembering his great 
love in creating you; that you are not beasts, plants, 
or stones, but that he has kept you, and given you 
his grace within, and substance without, and pro- 
vided plentifully for you. This remember in your 
youth, that you may be kept from the evil of the 
world: for in age it will be harder to overcome the 
temptations of it. 

'' Wherefore, my dear children, eschew the ap- 
pearance of evil, and love and cleave to that in your 
hearts which shows you evil from good, and tells 
you when you do amiss, and reproves you for it. It 
is the light of Christ that he has given you for 
your salvation. If you do this, and follow my coun- 
sel, God will bless you in this world, and give you 
an inheritance in that which shall never have au , 
end. For the light of Jesus is of a purifying na- 
ture; it seasons those who love it and take heed to 

171 



10 WILLIAM PENN'S LETTER 

it; and never leaves sucli, till it has brought them 
to the city of God, that has foundations. Oh that 
ye may be seasoned with the gracious nature of it! 
hide it in your hearts, and flee, my dear children, 
from all youthful lusts; the vain sports, pastimes, 
and pleasures of the world; redeeming the time^ be- 
cause the days are evil ! — You are now beginning 
to live ! What would some give for your time. Oh 
I could have lived better, were I, as you, in the 
flower of youth. — Therefore love and fear the Lord, 
keep close to meetings, and delight to wait on the 
Lord Grod of your father and mother, among his 
despised people, as we have done; and count it your 
honour to be members of that society, and heirs of 
that living fellowship which is enjoyed among them, 
for the experience of which your father's soul blesseth 
the Lord for ever. 

"Next, be obedient to your dear mother, a woman 
whose virtue and good name is an honour to you; 
for she hath been exceeded by none in her time for 
her plainness, integrity, industry, humanity, virtue, 
and good understanding — qualities not usual among 
women of her worldly condition and quality. There- 
fore honour and obey her, my dear children, as your 
mother and your father's love and delight; nay, 
love her too, for she loved your father with a deep 
and upright love, choosing him before all her many 
suitors; and though she be of a delicate constitution 
172 



TO HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. 11 

and noble spirit, yet she descended to the utmost 
tenderness and care for you, performing the pain- 
fullest acts of service to you in your infancy, as a 
mother and a nurse too. I charge you, before the 
Lord, honour and obey, love and cherish your dear 
mother. 

"Next: betake yourselves to some honest, in- 
dustrious course of life, and that not of sordid 
covetousness, but for example and to avoid idleness. 
And if you change your condition and marry, 
choose, with the knowledge and consent of your 
mother, if living, or of guardians, or those that have 
the charge of you. Mind neither beauty nor riches, 
but the fear of the Lord, and a sweet and amiable 
disposition, such as you can love above all this world, 
and that may make your habitations pleasant and 
desirable to you. 

"And being married, be tender, affectionate, pa- 
tient, and meek. Live in the fear of the Lord, and 
he will bless you and your offspring. Be sure to 
live within compass; borrow not, neither be be- 
holden to any. Kuin not yourselves by kindness 
to others; for that exceeds the due bounds of friend- 
ship, neither will a true friend expect it. Small 
matters I heed not. 

" Let your industry and parsimony go no further 
than for a sufficiency for life, and to make a provi- 
sion for your children, and that in moderation, if 
15* 173 



12 WILLIAM PENN's LETTER. 

the Lord gives jou any. I charge you to help the 
poor and needy; let the Lord have a voluntary share 
of your income for the good of the poor, both in 
our society and others; for we are all his creatures; 
remembering that ^ he that giveth to the poor lend- 
eth to the Lord/ 

" Know well your in-comings, and your out-goings 
may be better regulated. Love not money nor the 
world; use them only, and they will serve you; but 
if you love them you serve them, which will debase 
your spirits as well as offend the Lord. 

^^Pity the distressed, and hold out a hand to help 
them; it may be your case; and as you mete to 
others God will mete to you again. 

"Be humble and gentle in your conversation; of 
few words, I charge you; but always pertinent when 
you speak, hearing out before you attempt to an- 
swer, but then speaking as if you would persuade, 
not impose. 

"Affront none, neither revenge the affronts that 
are done to you; but forgive, and you shall be for- 
given of your heavenly Father. 

" In making friends, consider well first; and when 
you are fixed be true, not wavering by reports nor 
deserting in affliction, for that becomes not the good 
and virtuous. 

" Watch against anger, neither speak nor act in 
174 



TO HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. 13 

it; for, like drunkenness, it makes a man a beast, 
and throws people into desperate inconveniences. 

^^ Avoid flatterers, for they are thieves in disguise, 
their praise is costly; designing to get by those they 
bespeak; they are the worst of creatures; they lie 
to flatter, and flatter to cheat; and, which is worse, 
if you believe them you cheat yourselves most dan- 
gerously. But the virtuous, though poor, love, 
cherish, and prefer. Remember David, who, asking 
the Lord, ^Who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who 
shall dwell upon thy holy hill? answers, ^He that 
walketh uprightly, worketh righteousness, and speak- 
eth the truth in his heart; in whose eye the vile 
person is contemned, but he honoureth them who 
fear the Lord.' 

"Next, my children, be temperate in all things; 
in your diet, for that is physic by prevention; it 
keeps, nay, it makes people healthy, and their gene- 
ration sound. This is exclusive of the spiritual ad- 
vantage it brings. Be also plain in your apparel; 
keep out that lust which reigns too much over some; 
let your virtues be your ornament, remembering life 
is more than food, and the body than raiment. Let 
your furniture be simple and cheap. Avoid pride, 
avarice, and luxury. Read my ^No Cross no 
Crown.' There is instruction. Make your conver- 
sation with the most eminent for wisdom and piety, 
and shun all wicked men as you hope for the bless- 

175 



14 WILLIAM PENN's LETTER 

ing of God and tlie comfort of your father's living 
and dying prayers. Be sure you speak no evil of 
any— no, not of the meanest; much less of your 
superiors, as magistrates, guardians, tutors, teachers, 
and elders in Christ. 

^^Be no busybodies; meddle not with other folk's 
matters, but when in conscience and duty prest; 
for it procures trouble, and is ill manners, and very 
unseemly to wise men. 

^^In your families, remember Abraham, Moses 
and Joshua, their integrity to the Lord; and do as 
you have them for your examples. 

^^Let the fear and service of the living God be 
encouraged in your houses, and that plainness, so- 
briety, and moderation in all things as becometh 
God's chosen people; and as I advise you, my be- 
loved children, do you counsel yours, if God should 
give you any. Yea, I counsel and command them 
as my posterity, that they love and serve the Lord 
God with an upright heart, that he may bless you 
and yours from generation to generation. 

^^And as for you, who are likely to be concerned 
in the government of Pennsylvania and my parts 
of East Jersey, especially the first, I do charge you 
before the Lord God and his holy angels, that you 
be lowly, diligent, and tender, fearing God, loving 
the people, and hating covetousness. Let justice 
have its impartial course, and the law free passage. 
176 



TO HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. 15 

Though to your loss, protect no man against it; for 
you are not above the law, but the law above you. 
Live, therefore, the lives yourselves you would have 
the people live, and then you have right and bold- 
ness to punish the transgressor. Keep upon the 
square, for God sees you: therefore do your duty, 
and be sure you see with your own eyes, and hear 
with your own ears. Entertain no lurches, cherish 
no informers for gain or revenge; use no tricks; fly 
to no devices to support or cover injustice; but let 
your hearts be upright before the Lord, trusting in 
him above the contrivances of men, and none shall 
be able to hurt or supplant. 

"Oh! the Lord is a strong God, and he can do 
whatsoever he pleases; and though men consider it 
not, it is the Lord that rules and overrules in the 
kingdoms of men, and he builds up and pulls down. 
I, your father, am the man that can say, ' He that 
trusts in the Lord shall not be confounded. But 
God, in due time, will make his enemies be at peace 
with him.' 

"If you thus behave yourselves, and so become a 
terror to evil doers and a praise to them that do well, 
God, my God, will be with you in wisdom and a 
sound mind, and make you blessed instruments in 
his hand for the settlement of some of those desolate 
parts of the world, which my soul desires above all 
worldly honours and riches, both for you that go 

177 



16 WILLIAM PENN's LETTER 

and jou that stay; you that govern and you that 
are governed; that in the end you may be gathered 
with me to the rest of God. 

^^ Finally, my children, love one another with a 
true, endeared love, and your dear relations on both 
sides, and take care to preserve tender affection in 
your children to each other, often marrying within 
themselves, so as it be without the bounds forbidden 
in God's laws, that so they may not, like the for- 
getting, unnatural world, grow out of kindred and 
as cold as strangers; but, as becomes a truly natu- 
ral and Christian stock, you, and yours after you, 
may live in the pure and fervent love of God towards 
one another, as becometh brethren in the spiritual 
and natural relation. 

^^So, my God, that hath blessed me with his 
abundant mercies, both of this and the other and 
better life, be with you all, guide you by his coun- 
sel, bless you, and bring you to his eternal glory! 
that you may shine, my dear children, in the firma- 
ment of God's power with the blessed spirits of 
the just — that celestial family — praising and ad- 
miring him, the God and Father of it, for ever. 
For there is no God like unto him; the God of 
Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of the 
Prophets, the Apostles and Martyrs of Jesus, in 
whom I live for ever. 
178 



TO HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN. 17 

^^So farewell to my thrice dearly beloved wife 
and children! Yours as Grod pleaseth, in that 
which no waters can quench^ no time forget; nor 
distance wear away, but remains for ever, 

WILLIAM PENN. 

^^Worminghurstj iih of^ih Mo, 1682/' 



179 



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